DNA methylation of Quercus robur L. plumules following cryo-pretreatment and cryopreservation

• Published in: Plant cell, tissue and organ culture Vol. 117; no. 1; pp. 31 - 37
• Main Authors: Plitta, Beata P, Michalak, Marcin, Naskręt-Barciszewska, Mirosława Z, Barciszewski, Jan, Chmielarz, Paweł
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.04.2014; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; cooling; Cryopreservation; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Desiccation; DNA; DNA methylation; Economic importance; forest trees; Gene banks; Germplasm; germplasm conservation; Life Sciences; Liquid nitrogen; Meristems; nitrogen; Original Paper; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant species; Pretreatment; Quercus robur; Seeds; Pedunculate oak; Cryopreservation; Desiccation; 5-Methylcytosine; Genetic resources; Liquid nitrogen
• ISSN: 0167-6857; 1573-5044
• DOI: 10.1007/s11240-013-0417-9

Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) is an ecologically and economically important forest tree species which produces seeds that are classified as recalcitrant. Thus, cryopreservation of seed meristems is a method for long-term preservation of this germplasm in gene banks. During cryopreservation, many factors, such as desiccation, cryoprotection and cooling/rewarming, can induce stress in the frozen meristems. In this study, in vitro survival and the global DNA methylation level of plumules after cryoprotection, desiccation and cryostorage was evaluated. Results indicated that both desiccation and storage in liquid nitrogen have negligible influence on DNA methylation status of Q. robur plumules. These findings support the cryopreservation of plumules as an appropriate method for conservation of Q. robur germplasm.