title: Cryopreservation of periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus cells cultured in vitro.
abstract: A procedure for prolonged cryogenic storage of periwinkle cell cultures is described. Cells derived from periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, and subcultured as suspension in 1-B5C nutrient medium have been frozen, stored in liquid nitrogen (-196°C) for 11 weeks, thawed and recultured. Maximal survival was achieved when 3-4 day-old cells precultured for 24 h in nutrient medium with 5% DMSO were frozen at slow cooling rates of 0.5 or 1°C/min prior to storage in liquid nitrogen. The only loss in viability of cells occurred subsequent to treatment with DMSO.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  DMSO, dimethylsulfoxide; 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; TTC, triphenyltetrazolium chloride.
authors.affiliation: Prairie Regional Laboratory, National Research Council of Canada, S7N 0W9, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kartha
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaudet-Laprairie
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Constabel