THE FINE STRUCTURE OF GENETIC TUMOR CELLS

Tissue from genetic tumors at an early stage of development on young seedlings of Nicotiana suaveolens X N. langsdorffii was examined with the electron microscope. Such tumors, which first appear on the stem immediately below the petioles of the first and second leaves, are composed essentially of three cell types. They are covered by a single layer of epidermal cells of which two specializations, guard cells and trichomes, were observed. The majority of cells in the tumors are large, irregularly shaped, highly vacuolated, parenchymal cells. Meristematic cells, which are found in clusters close to the surface of the tumor, are the third cell type. A membrane-bound inclusion was observed within the plastids of all of the cell types within the tumor. It consists of granular material which accumulates within an intrathylakoid space. There are no major differences in ultrastructure between parenchymal cells of genetic tumors and their normal counterparts from stems without any signs of tumor formation.