ABSTRACT
As the sister clade of seed plants, ferns are significant materials for plant phylogeny research. However, the genomic DNA extraction protocol for fern samples like modified CTAB method still lacks robustness. Here, we found that the amount and condition of the pinnae samples are critical for gDNA extraction in fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris L. In 500 µl CTAB solution, the recommended amount of pinnae is about 10-20 mg (2-3 pieces). The condition of the pinnae must be instantly-picked from a plant cultivated in a suitable environment. With these factors under control, it is highly reproducible to get the high-quality gDNA with low degradation rate.
ABSTRACT
Spores are the primary way of spread and reproduction for ferns, a clade of seed-free vascular plants. However, no detailed protocol for ferns spore cultivation has been reported yet. Here we provide a modified approach for axenic cultivation of fern Adiantum capillus-veneris L., based on Cao's and Li's method (Cao, et al., 2010; Li, et al., 2013). Our approach can be briefly divided into four steps: 1) collect spores; 2) sterilize the spores with 5% sodium hypochlorite solution and wash twice; 3) incubate the spores in liquid Knop's medium in the dark for five days; 4) cultivate the spores on Knop's plate medium. To increase the germination rate, we constrain the sterilization time under 25 min and add dark treatment step after spore sterilization. After these modifications, the germination rate raises from 2% to 25%.
