title: Cryopreservation of zygotic embryo axes and somatic embryos of European chestnut.
abstract: This work describes experiments demonstrating the feasibility of long-term conservation of Castanea sativa germplasm through cryopreservation of embryonic axes or somatic embryo clumps. Between 93 % and 100 % of excised embryonic axes of recalcitrant chestnut seeds survived storage in liquid nitrogen (LN) following desiccation in a laminar flow cabinet to moisture contents of 20-24 % (on a fresh weight basis), and some 63 % subsequently developed as whole plants. Desiccation to moisture contents less than 19 % produced damage resulting in loss of organized plant development after cryostorage, allowing only root growth. When 6-8 mg clumps of globular or heart-shaped somatic embryos were precultured for 7 days on high-sucrose medium and then desiccated to a moisture content of 25 % before storage in LN, the embryogenesis resumption level after thawing was 33 %. When the embryo clumps were precultured for 3 days on high-sucrose medium followed by 60 min application of PVS2 vitrification solution before cryostorage, the post-storage embryogenesis resumption level was 68 %.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiologicas de Galicia, CSIC, Apartado 122, 15080 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corredoira
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: San-José
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vieitez
mesh_terms: D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003890:Desiccation / Q000379:methods; D029962:Fagaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology*; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents