textA new technique for imaging terminal cellulose-synthesizing complexes in isolated
plasma membrane sheets was developed. Protoplasts bound to poly-L-lysine-coated
substrates were burst in a sonicator bath. This process served to partially extract the
plasma membrane, allowing the imaging of cellulose microfibrils through holes in the
plasma membrane and the tracing of these cellulose microfibrils back to rosette terminal
complexes. Using this new technique, the cytoplasmic domain of the rosette terminal
complex was imaged. This domain appears to be hexagonal. A new model of the
complete rosette cellulose-synthesizing terminal complex includes the hexagonal
geometry of the cytoplasmic domain. This new technique effectively augments freeze
fracture data in providing new data about the structure-function of the cellulose
synthesizing terminal complex.Biological Sciences, School o
