Non-chlorophyllous and crypto-chlorophyllous fern spores differ in their mobilisation of fatty acids during priming.

During fern spore germination, lipid hydrolysis primarily provides the energy to activate their metabolism. In this research, fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic) were quantified in the spores exposed or not to priming (hydration-dehydration treatments). Five fern species were investigated, two from xerophilous shrubland and three from a cloud forest. We hypothesised that during the priming hydration phase, the fatty acids profile would change in concentration, depending on the spore type (non-chlorophyllous and crypto-chlorophyllous). The fatty acid concentration was determined by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Chlorophyll in spores was vizualised by epifluorescence microscopy and quantified by high-resolution liquid chromatography with a DAD-UV/Vis detector. Considering all five species and all the treatments, the oleic acid was the most catabolised. After priming, we identified two patterns in the fatty acid metabolism: (1) in non-chlorophyllous species, oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids were catabolised during imbibition and (2) in crypto-chlorophyllous species, these fatty acids increased in concentration. These patterns suggest that crypto-chlorophyllous spores with homoiochlorophylly (chlorophyll retained after drying) might not require the assembly of new photosynthetic apparatus during dark imbibition. Thus, these spores might require less energy from pre-existing lipids and less fatty acids as 'building blocks' for cell membranes than non-chlorophyllous spores, which require de novo synthesis and structuring of the photosynthetic apparatus.

Can fern spores develop hydration memory in response to priming?

Fern spores and seeds initiate germination with fast water uptake, followed by a stationary phase with no appreciable water uptake and biochemical and metabolic processes that precede germination. After that, seed, germination is avoided by dehydration, as part of the priming treatments. After dehydration, seeds maintain their metabolic advances (hydration memory). As a result, rehydrated seeds germinate rapidly. We hypothesized that, as seeds, fern spores may be capable of developing hydration memory. To assess priming, spores of six fern species were exposed to: four or eight days of hydration in water (hydro-priming) or in a soil matrix (matrix-priming); or 1 month of hydration in the soil of the collection site (natural-priming). At the end of the treatments, the spores were dehydrated in the dark and germinated under laboratory conditions. Germination was evaluated using lag-time, germination rate and germination percentage. Priming treatments shortened lag time and/or increased germination rate or germination percentage in relation to the controls. Matrix-priming (8 days) reduced the spore germination percentage in three species. Our results provide evidence that fern spores possess a hydration memory that probably evolved in the soil bank and suggests that hydration-dehydration cycles within the natural soil might provide advantages for successful germination.