title: Detection of chlorophylls in spores of seven ferns.
abstract: Fern spores were traditionally classified into chlorophyllous (green) and nonchlorophyllous (nongreen) types based on the color visible to the naked eye. Recently, a third type, "cryptochlorophyllous spores", is recognized, and these spores are nongreen under white light but contain chlorophylls. Epifluorescence microscopy was previously used to detect chlorophylls in cryptochlorophyllous spores. In addition to epifluorescence microscopy, current study performed some other approaches, including spore-squash epifluorescence, absorption spectra, laser-induced fluorescence emission spectra, thin layer chromatography (TLC), and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectrometric detection (UHPLC-UV-MS) in order to detect chlorophylls of spores of seven ferns (Sphaeropteris lepifera, Ceratopteris thalictroides, Leptochilus wrightii, Leptochilus pothifolius, Lepidomicrosorum buergerianum, Osmunda banksiifolia, and Platycerium grande). Destructive methods, such as TLC and UHPLC-UV-MS, successfully detected chlorophylls inside the spores when their signals of red fluorescence under epifluorescence microscope were masked by spore wall. Although UHPLC-UV-MS analysis was the most sensitive and reliable for determining the chlorophylls of spores, spore-squash epifluorescence is not only reliable but also cost- and time-effective one among our study methods. In addition, we first confirmed that Lepidomicrosorium buergerianum, Leptochilus pothifolius, Leptochilus wrightii, and Platycerium grande, produce cryptochlorophyllous spores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Hwei
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuei-Huei
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Jia
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center, Pingtung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ya-Lan
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Cih
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Silviculture, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Yaung
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Division of Silviculture, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan. huangym@tfri.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Yao-Moan
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D029624:Ferns / Q000378:metabolism*; D005453:Fluorescence; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D029621:Polypodiaceae / Q000378:metabolism; D029625:Pteridaceae / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013170:Spores / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll
keywords: Chlorophyll; Cryptochlorophyllous spore; Spore-squash epifluorescence; UHPLC-UV-MS