Studies on Moss Spores. VII. Fatty Acid Composition of Mono- and Diglycosyl Diglyceride Fractions of Germinating Polytrichum commune Spores

Glycolipids begin to form during the first hours of germination Polytrichum commune Hedw.: monoglycosyl diglycerides (MGDG) during the first 3 h and diglycosyl diglycerides (DGDG) within the succeeding 3 h. Further increase in the glycolipid content occurs in connection with chloroplast replication. Fatty acid pattern of glycolipids, particularly that of the MGDG fraction, is gradually changed in the course of germination: the proportion of shorter chain acids (i.e. 14-16 carbon atoms in the carbon skeleton) decreases and the proportion of longer chain (i.e. 18-20 carbon atoms in the carbon skeleton) and unsaturated fatty acids increases. In both fractions C 18:3 ω 3 acid accumulates, accounting for 53.4% and 80.2% of the total fatty acids in the MGDG and DGDG fractions, respectively. No great changes occur in the proportion of C 20 polyenoic fatty acids; they are present throughout the germination only in trace or small amounts.