Figure 3
Morphological patterns of chloroplasts carrying FtsZ1-2::EGFP (a) and those carrying FtsZ2-1::EGFP (b) are shown for comparison. Confocal image z-stacks were deconvolved via Huygens software (Scientific Volume Imaging). Maximum intensity projections and surface rendering were performed on selected confocal image data for each isoform by using IMARIS software (Bitplane). Surface rendering was performed by choosing a single chloroplast in the middle of the image as the object and excluding the surrounding chloroplasts and networks during segmentation. (a) In the presence of FtsZ1-2::EGFP networks, chloroplasts tend to adopt angular shapes, form tapered and pointed poles where dense bundles of filaments exit the chloroplasts (arrowheads). FtsZ1-2 filaments emanating from the chloroplast surface are sometimes overlapped with chlorophyll autofluorescence in the form of tubular outgrowths (arrows) implying that the growing filaments might have deformed the chloroplast surface and triggered such membrane protrusions. (b) Shape patterns of chloroplasts carrying FtsZ2-1::EGFP include surface indentations which occur at positions where meganodes are located (arrowheads). Surface rendering of the chlorophyll and EGFP channels shows more clearly that locations of the meganodes match the topographic indentations of the chloroplast surface.
