Stromule

Stromuli (singular Stromulus, stromule of Engl, short for stroma filled tubules -. Stroma -filled Schläuchchen ) are tube-like protrusions of the plastids in plant cells. They are surrounded by two membranes of the plastid stroma and contain, including typical Stromaproteine ​​as Rubisco, but no thylakoids. Stromuli often combine different plastids with each other or extend to other organelles such as mitochondria, the nucleus or the plasma membrane. It is therefore believed that the Stromuli may be involved in the communication, or to exchange material within the cell. Between plastids can be exchanged via Stromuli proven proteins.

Stromuli are highly dynamic structures that form within short periods, deform, branch or can disintegrate into vesicles. This Stromuli probably have contact via myosins for actin cytoskeleton, which allows their mobility and orientation.