Chapter XIV 



147 — 



The Vacuolar System 



pigment in solution. By reason of the great resemblance between 

 the initial shapes in which anthoeyanin first appears and the shapes 

 of the chondrioconts, we were led to think, originally, that this 

 pigment arose in the elements of the chondriome which then be- 

 came transformed into vacuoles. This interpretation was founded 

 also on the fact that these shapes were preserved by mitochondrial 

 techniques. With the method of Regaud, for example, we ob- 

 tained at that time, both typical chondriosomes and elements of 

 the same form as the chondriosomes, but a little larger, stained 

 in the same way, but for which the staining was less stable and 

 which, if destaining was prolonged, lost all the dye and took a 

 yellow color. This color we attributed to the action of the potas- 

 sium bichromate on the anthoey- 

 anin. Now, between the typical 

 chondriosomes and these elements 

 which resemble them, there 

 seemed to exist all intermediate 

 stages. We thought at that 

 time, therefore, that the larger 

 elements, to which the potassium 

 bichromate gives a yellow color, 

 corresponded to chondriosomes 

 impregnated with anthoeyanin. 

 Our interpretation was a natural 

 one at the moment, for the chon- 

 driome was not yet well known, 

 the origin of the vacuoles was not 

 understood, and it was thought 

 that most of the pigments of ani- 

 mal cells were of mitochondrial 

 origin. 



This observation was immedi- 

 ately investigated by a certain 

 number of workers among whom 

 some agreed with our interpreta- 

 tions (MoREAU, MiRANDE) and others contested them. Among the 

 latter Arthur Meyer thought, but without having proved it, that 

 the chondriosome-like elements which mark the beginning of the 

 formation of anthoeyanin, represent filamentous vacuoles. Low- 

 SCHIN, on the other hand, expressed the opinion that these fig- 

 ures correspond merely to anthoeyanin itself. According to him 

 the anthoeyanin is deposited in the cytoplasm in this form and 

 consequently there is merely a fortuitous similarity in shape be- 

 tween these figures and that of the chondriosomes. 



Pensa, stressing the fact that the chondriosome-shaped ele- 

 ments of anthoeyanin always appear colored yellow by mitochon- 

 drial methods — probably in preparations too much destained — 

 was led to think that they have no relation to the chondriosomes. 

 Taking up Lowschin's theory and drawing upon his own observa- 

 tions, Pensa concluded that these figures correspond merely to an 



Fig. 93. — Oil glands of a walnut leaf. 

 Regaud's method. 1, 4, preparations prop- 

 erly stained; chondriosomes (Af) stained 

 black, filamentous vacuoles (VA) containing 

 an anthocyanin-tannin complex stained yel- 

 low brown. 2, 3, preparations insufficiently 

 destained; 2, both elements black; 3, only 

 vacuoles visible. Preparations such as 2, 3, 

 might lead observers to think the chondrio- 

 somes are transformed into tannin-contain- 

 ing vacuoles. 



