Multiple Vacuoles in Plant Cells: Rule or Exception?

It is generally accepted that plant cells can contain multiple vacuoles with different functions, for example lytic vacuoles with lysosome-like properties and protein storage vacuoles for reserve accumulation. Recent data call into question the generality of this theory. In this study, we review the published evidence for the existence of multiple vacuoles. We conclude that the multivacuole hypothesis is valid for a number of cases, but care should be taken before assuming that it applies universally.