摘要或動機

水生食蟲植物絲葉狸藻 (Utricularia gibba) 是非常獨特的，它不但跟其他植物一樣能行光合作用，且具備捕蟲囊捕捉水中小生物，補充生長所必需的營養元素。捕蟲囊的構造精密卻不複雜，消化吸收主要靠囊內壁上的四爪腺毛，目前尚未有文獻實際以追蹤物質描述出整個共質體輸送路徑。我們是最先以螢光染劑 (carboxyfluorescein) 及共軛焦雷射掃描顯微鏡(confocal laser scanning microscope) 成功地描繪出捕蟲囊共質體運輸路徑。同時我們也以對細胞無害的食用色素，進行相同的實驗觀察。發現食用色素不但成本低，且較螢光染劑有更多的優點，如觀察時間較不受限制等，非常適合用來研究捕蟲囊吸收物質的路徑，因此，本實驗的模式可以應用在其他水生植物運輸路徑的研究。;The aquatic carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba is very unique. It has not only the ability to undertake photosynthesis just like other plants, but also can trap and obtain the nutrients from the freshwater zooplankton. Its trapping organ is very sophisticate but not complicate. The digestion and absorption process inside the trap are mainly accomplished by the quadrifids structure. According to our knowledge, we are the first to introduce the phloem-mobile, fluorescent probe carboxyfluorescein (CF) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) to the study of the symplastic transport in the Utricularia trap. In addition, we use edible food colorings as tracers for this transport study. Both approaches turn out to be very successful in delineating the symplastic transport of the trap. But CF quenches rapidly so the observation time is restricted. On the contrary, food colorings don’t have these disadvantages; it is inexpensive, easy to perform, and the transport process is not fast. As a result, the study is easily to be completed. These methods will be very helpful in the studies of symplastic transport in other plants.