Spatial distribution of perylenequinones in lichens and extended quinones in quincyte using confocal fluorescence microscopy

The application of confocal fluorescence microscopy and microspectrofluorimetry to the characterization of the distribution of organic compounds in bulk lichens and mineral structures is demonstrated. Perylenequinones and extended quinones were chosen as both model compounds and as the naturally occurring fluorophores. These molecules occur, respectively, in corticolous microlichens and in a pink-colored mineral called quincyte. The structures of quincyte and of the lichens Cryptothelium rhodotitton and Graphis hematites are described, and the possibilities of energy dissipation and photoprotection mechanisms in these lichens are discussed. This study also illustrates how, for a wide range of specimens, naturally occurring quinone fluorophores in the specimen can be exploited directly to yield chemical and structural information without using fluorescent labelling. These intrinsic quinonoid compounds have molecular fluorescence yields and laser damage thresholds comparable or superior to common microscopy dyes, and can therefore be used to obtain high-contrast 3D fluorescence imaging without the complications introduced by dye labelling. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.