A new method for the preservation of fungus stock cultures by deep-freezing

Recovery of 66 fungus stock cultures including Oomycota, Zygomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and mitosporic mycetes were examined after cryopreservation. Almost all the stock cultures remained viable when the mycelia that had grown over the sawdust medium containing 10% glycerol as the cryoprotectant (65% moisture content, W/W) were frozen rapidly at −85°C and then allow to thaw naturally at room temperature. Test stock cultures were preserved for more than 10 years by this preservation method without any programmed precooling and rapid thawing for their cryopreservation. Most of the test fungi could survive for 5 years in medium containing 10% glycerol even after alternate freezing and thawing at intervals of 6 months. When a strain of Flammulina velutipes was tested for mycelial growth rate and productivity of fruit-bodies after cryopreservation for 3 years, the fungus reproduced with its initial capability. These results demonstrate that the sawdust-freezing method using a cryoprotectant is expected to be a reliable and easy preservation method for fungus stock cultures. Received: December 7, 2000 / Accepted: December 19, 2001     

Expanded cryopreserved mesenchymal stromal cells as an optimal source for graft-versus-host disease treatment

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are fibroblast-like cells present in different types of tissues. Their immunomodulatory potential represents a promising method for post-transplant immunotherapy in the treatment of GVHD (graft-versus-host disease) with suboptimal response to standard immunosuppression. In this study we tested influence of 1–8 month-long cryopreservation on ability of MSC to suppress activation of non-specifically stimulated lymphocytes.We did not observe any changes in proliferation capacity of MSC after thawing. Lymphocytes metabolic activity was inhibited by 30% and number of dividing cells was three times smaller in the presence of MSC. Two activation markers were studied (CD25 and CD69) to confirm preservation of functional cell integrity. Expression of CD25 antigen on CD3⁺CD4⁺ and CD3⁺CD4⁻ cells was decreased in all co-cultivated samples. Level of CD69 expression on CD3⁺CD4⁺ cells was lower in samples with added MSC (10–15% on day +2) but without reaching statistical significance. The lower expression (approximately 5%) was observed also on CD4-cells.The study confirms the preservation of immunomodulatory properties of cryopreserved and re-expanded MSC. Aliquots with cryopreserved cells can represent an optimal source for a quick preparation of MSC cell product with the possibility to apply the same cells repeatedly.     

A simple and serum-free protocol for cryopreservation of human umbilical cord as source of Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show promise in cell-based transplantations and regenerative medicine applications. MSCs from Wharton’s jelly (WJ) of umbilical cord can be easily harvested and exhibit greater proliferative activity than bone marrow MSCs. It is important to develop a practical cryopreservation technique to effectively store umbilical cord for potential future applications. Successful cryopreservation would allow access to umbilical cord from the same donor for repeated WJ MSC-based transplantations. For therapeutic applications, one should be able to obtain clinically-relevant quality and quantity of MSCs from cryopreserved tissues. In this study, we optimised a serum-free formulation of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 0.2 M sucrose for cryopreservation of umbilical cord tissue. Slow freezing and rapid thawing were adopted. MSCs harvested from WJ of cryopreserved umbilical cord could undergo robust expansion, differentiate to mesodermal lineages and express MSC-characteristic surface antigens. The cumulative cell yield, however, was less compared to corresponding fresh cord tissue.     

Preliminary studies on cryopreservation of snakehead (Channa striata) embryos

This paper reports the findings of the ongoing studies on cryopreservation of the snakehead, Channa striata embryos. The specific objective of this study was to collect data on the sensitivity of C. striata embryo hatching rate to low temperatures at two different developmental stages in the presence of four different cryoprotectants. Embryos at morula and heartbeat stages were selected and incubated in 1 M dimethyl sulfoxide (Me₂SO), 1 M ethylene glycol (EG), 1 M methanol (MeOH) and 0.1 M sucrose solutions at different temperatures for a period of time. Embryos were kept at 24 °C (control), 15 °C, 4 °C and −2 °C for 5 min, 1 h and 3 h. Following these treatments, the embryos were then transferred into a 24 °C water bath until hatch to evaluate the hatching rate. The results showed that there was a significant decrease of hatching rate in both developmental stages following exposure to 4 °C and −2 °C at 1 h and 3 h exposure in each treatment. Heartbeat stage was more tolerant against chilling at −2 °C for 3 h exposure in Me₂SO followed by MeOH, sucrose and EG. Further studies will be conducted to find the best method to preserve embryos for long term storage.     

Rationally optimized cryopreservation of multiple mouse embryonic stem cell lines: I—Comparative fundamental cryobiology of multiple mouse embryonic stem cell lines and the implications for embryonic stem cell cryopreservation protocols

The post-thaw recovery of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is often assumed to be adequate with current methods. However as this publication will show, this recovery of viable cells actually varies significantly by genetic background. Therefore there is a need to improve the efficiency and reduce the variability of current mESC cryopreservation methods. To address this need, we employed the principles of fundamental cryobiology to improve the cryopreservation protocol of four mESC lines from different genetic backgrounds (BALB/c, CBA, FVB, and 129R1 mESCs) through a comparative study characterizing the membrane permeability characteristics and membrane integrity osmotic tolerance limits of each cell line. In the companion paper, these values were used to predict optimal cryoprotectants, cooling rates, warming rates, and plunge temperatures, and then these predicted optimal protocols were validated against standard freezing protocols.     

Developmental competence of frozen-thawed yak (Bos grunniens) oocytes followed by in vitro maturation and fertilization

In the present study, we examined the ability of immature germinal vesicle (GV) and subjected to in vitro matured (MII) yak oocytes to survive after cryopreservation as well as their subsequent development following in vitro maturation and fertilization. Both GV and MII oocytes were cryopreserved by using two different vitrification solutions (VS); VS-I contained 10% ethylene glycol (EG) and 10% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in TCM-199 + 20% (v/v) fetal calf serum (FCS) whereas VS-II contained 40% EG + 18% Ficoll + 0.5 M sucrose in TCM-199 + 20% FCS. The percentage of oocytes found to be morphologically normal was greater (P < 0.01) in VS-I group than in VS-II group. Rates of cleavage (30.6–42.2%) and blastocyst formation (2.9–8.9%) did not differ among groups, but were lower than in unfrozen control (55.7% and 25.4%, P < 0.01). These results show that a combination of EG and DMSO or EG, Ficoll and sucrose can be used to cryopreserve yak oocytes in French straws.     

Effects of type III antifreeze protein on sperm and embryo cryopreservation in rabbit

We investigated the effects of antifreeze protein (AFP) III supplementation on the cryopreservation of rabbit sperm cells and embryos. Ejaculated semen was collected from male Japanese white (JW) rabbits and divided into four AFP-supplemented groups (0.1 μg/ml, 1 μg/ml, 10 μg/ml, 100 μg/ml) and one control group with no AFP-supplementation. The semen samples were treated with egg-yolk HEPES extender containing 6% acetamide before the sperm was cooled from room temperature to 5 °C, then packed into sperm straws. The straws were frozen in steam of liquid nitrogen (LN₂) and then preserved in the LN₂. The motility of the sperm after thawing in 37 °C water was analyzed. The percentage of rapidly motile sperm in the 1 μg/ml AFP group was significantly higher than in the control group. Morulae were collected from female JW rabbits and divided into three AFP-supplemented groups (100 ng/ml, 500 ng/ml, 1000 ng/ml) and one control group. The morulae, immersed in an embryo-freezing solution (M199-HEPES containing 20% ethylene glycol, 20% dimethylsulfoxide, 10% fetal bovine serum and 0.25 M sucrose), were packed into open pulled embryo straws and vitrified in LN₂. The frozen embryos were thawed in the embryo-freezing solution, and the rates of embryo survival and development to blastocyte stage were analyzed after incubation for 72 h. The development rate of the embryos in the 500 ng/ml AFP group was significantly higher than in the control group, but that in the 1000 ng/ml AFP group was significantly lower. In conclusion, the appropriate dose of AFP III increased the number of rapidly motile sperm and embryo survival following freezing and thawing. The results suggest that supplementation with AFP III can increase the efficiency of cryopreservation of rabbit sperm cells and embryos.     

Survival of cultured cells and somatic embryos of Asparagus officinalis cryopreserved by vitrification

Cultured cells and somatic embryos derived from the mesophyll tissue of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) were cryopreserved by vitrification. The vitrification solution (PVS) contains (w/v) 22% glycerol, 15% ethylene glycol, 15% propylene glycol and 7% DMSO in Murashige-Skoog medium enriched with 0.5M sorbitol. After initial cryoprotection with sorbitol supplemented MS medium containing 12% ethylene glycol, cells or embryos were exposed stepwise to 85% PVS at 0°C. They were loaded into 0.5 ml transparent straws, and were then plunged directly into liquid nitrogen. After rapid warming, PVS was removed and diluted stepwise. The highest survivals of vitrified cells and embryos were about 65 and 50%, respectively. Surviving embryos developed into plantlets.Abbreviations DMSO dimetyl sulfoxide - PVS vitrification solution - LN liquid nitrogen - DSC differential scanning calorimeter - MS Murashige-Skoog salt medium - NAA naphthalene acetic acid - BA 6-benzyladenine