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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #405512
Research Project: Curation and Research to Safeguard and Expand Collections of Plant and Microbial Genetic Resources and Associated Descriptive Information

Location: Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research

Title: Fundamentals of plant cryopreservation: Dormant bud two-step cooling and shoot tip vitrification

Author
item Volk, Gayle
item Bonnart, Remi
item Henk, Adam
item CHEN, KATHERYN - Colorado State University
item BETTONI, JEAN - Collaborator
item WANG, QIAO-CHUN - Northwest A&f University
item KRECKEL, HEIDI - Colorado State University
item LEVINGER, NANCY - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Acta horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2023
Publication Date: 2/7/2025
Citation: Volk, G.M., Bonnart, R.M., Henk, A.D., Chen, K.Y., Bettoni, J.C., Wang, Q., Kreckel, H., Levinger, N. 2025. Fundamentals of plant cryopreservation: Dormant bud two-step cooling and shoot tip vitrification. Acta horticulturae. 1421:117-123. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1421.16.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1421.16

Interpretive Summary: The USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation uses dormant bud and shoot tip cryopreservation (liquid nitrogen) technologies to secure National Plant Germplasm System collections that are clonally propagated. Critical steps in the dormant bud two-step cooling and shoot tip vitrification methods are reviewed, with an emphasis on steps within the procedures that have physiological, biophysical, or chemical effects on plant materials that likely affect the cryopreservability of the plant tissues.

Technical Abstract: Plant shoot tip and dormant bud cryopreservation have become routine in many genebank and conservation programs. This is due in part to the development of methods that are applicable across a wide range of diversity within genera as well as a highly skilled workforce that is able to implement difficult procedures. Successful dormant bud cryopreservation is dependent upon having plant materials at an appropriate physiological state to tolerate subsequent dehydration and cryoexposure. Effective shoot tip cryopreservatio often relies upon a combination of treatments that allow tender shoot tips to survive cryoprotection. Remarkably, the underlying physiological, biophysical, and molecular mechanisms of successful cryopreservation procedures are not well understood. Interdisciplinary efforts are revealing new information about how cells interact with cryoprotectant solutions, which allow shoot tips to survive and recover from liquid nitrogen exposure.