The Formation of The Plant Vacuolar System

1999

The plant vacuole is a multifunctional subcellular compartment. In general, the vacuolar system is constituted of a single or few vacuoles. About 80% of the volume of mature plant cells is occupied by vacuoles. These organelles are limited by a single membrane, the tonoplast. According to the cell type and to particular functions, the vacuolar content can vary from a homogeneous consistency to a heterogeneous matrix containing crystalloid structures (Boiler, Wiemken, 1986; Marty et al., 1980). From the biotechnological point of view, the endomembrane system of plants, particularly the ER and vacuoles, can be envisioned as the ultimate environment for stable protein accumulation. Several rep…