江西铅山红芽芋胚性愈伤组织的包埋干燥法超低温保存

对江西铅山红芽芋（Colocasia esculenta var．cormosus cv．Hongyayu）胚性愈伤组织包埋干燥法超低温保存进行了初步的研究。结果表明：江西铅山红芽芋胚性愈伤组织包埋干燥法超低温保存较佳的条件为：0．75mol·L-1蔗糖预培养3d;脱水方式为空气干燥7h或硅胶干燥11h;化冻温度为37℃（2min）;冻后培养条件为暗培养7d再转到光周期中培养。此方法超低温保存后的平均成活率约为45％。超低温保存时间以及是否去除包裹的褐藻酸钙对其成活率无显著性影响。形态学和细胞学检测表明红芽芋胚性愈伤组织冻后再生苗与母本材料相比没有发生变异。     

江西铅山红芽芋胚性愈伤组织的包埋玻璃化超低温保存

为长期安全保存江西铅山红芽芋种质资源,本文以江西铅山红芽芋的胚性愈伤组织为对象,研究了包埋玻璃化冻存过程中各因素对细胞活力和愈伤组织成活率的影响,优化建立了江西铅山红芽芋胚性愈伤组织包埋玻璃化超低温保存体系。将约0.2 g胚性愈伤组织块包埋成海藻酸钙凝胶珠后,在25℃下转入MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1 mg/L NAA+0.75 mol/L蔗糖的培养基中于14 h/d光周期下预培养1 d;预培养后的胚性愈伤组织块用2 mol/L甘油和0.4 mol/L蔗糖的混合物在25℃下装载40 min;采用PVS2在25℃下脱水30 min,更换PVS2后直接投入液氮保存1 d;再将胚性愈伤组织块置于37℃恒温水浴中化冻3 min,然后用MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1 mg/L NAA+1.2 mol/L蔗糖的液体培养基洗涤3次,每次10 min;洗涤后的胚性愈伤组块转入MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1mg/L NAA固体培养基上先暗培养7 d再转到14 h/d光周期中培养。7 d后胚性愈伤组织块开始恢复生长,并且在30 d内分化出胚状体;将胚状体再次转入MS+2 mg/L TDZ+1 mg/L NAA固体培养基上,60 d后形成完整的植株。红芽芋胚性愈伤组织包埋玻璃化超低温保存后的平均成活率约为60%,并且红芽芋胚性愈伤组织冻后再生苗没有发生形态性状和染色体数目的变异,此结果为长期安全保存江西铅山红芽芋种质资源奠定了良好的基础。     

Cryopreservation: A tool to conserve date palm in Saudi Arabia

The cryostoring of embryogenic tissue of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. cv. Sagai) was examined through dehydrated-encapsulation, vitrification, and vitrification-encapsulation. The most extreme regeneration rate (53.33%) of epitomized, cryostored liquid nitrogen (+LN) treated embryos was observed when pre-embryonic masses were hatched with 0.5 M sucrose for 48 h pursued by 6 h air drying out. The most noteworthy survival rate (80.0%) of epitomized, cryopreserved embryonic cluster came about when calli were hatched with 0.3 or 0.7 M sucrose for 48 h pursued by four hours of lack of hydration, or with 0.5 M sucrose for 48 h without air drying out or with 2 h of air drying out. Following cryopreservation utilizing the embodiment vitrification convention, the most astounding survival (86.7%) as well as the greatest growth (46.7%) was accomplished when the typified vitrified, cryopreserved calli were treated with Vitrification Solution 2 for plants (PVS2) for 60 min at 25 °C. Cryopreservation utilizing the vitrification convention brought about the most extreme recuperation of 53.3%, when vitrified-cryopreserved calli were subjected to PVS2 solution for 30 min at 25 °C. Most extreme (40%) regeneration of vitrified, cryopreserved embryonic calli was seen when these calli were treated with PVS2 solution for 60 min at 25 °C. The outcome got amid this investigation of regrowth after cryopreservation of the cv. Sagai was over the base suitable for a cryo-germplasm bank. Recovery and regrowth were above 30% for all the techniques developed for the cv. Sagai.     

大苞鞘石斛原球茎玻璃化超低温保存技术的研究

本文研究建立了大苞鞘石斛(Dendrobium wardianum Warner)原球茎玻璃化法超低温保存的技术体系。结果发现,预处理和玻璃化溶液(plant vitrification solution 2,PVS2)装载脱水是影响大苞鞘石斛原球茎相对存活率的两个关键步骤,高渗与低温-高渗两种预处理方法测定的相对存活率具有显著性差异;玻璃化溶液的种类以及脱水时间对冻后存活率具有重要的影响。基于此,建立了大苞鞘石斛原球茎的超低温保存体系,即:以继代培养60 d的大苞鞘石斛原球茎为材料,1/2MS+0.8 mol/L蔗糖的培养基上4℃低温预处理6 d后,转至1/2 MS+2 mol/L甘油+0.4 mol/L蔗糖的装载液中室温下装载40 min,在0℃下装载PVS2脱水40 min,然后转入装有新鲜PVS2冷冻管中并迅速投入液氮。在液氮保存1 h后放在40℃水浴中快速解冻1 min,利用含1.2 mol/L蔗糖的1/2MS培养液洗涤3次,每次间隔10 min;待恢复培养30 d后统计存活率,可使大苞鞘石斛原球茎超低温保存后存活率达到20.0%。     

Effect of cryopreservation on human articular chondrocyte viability, proliferation, and collagen expression

Autotransplantation of human chondrocytes is an alternative therapeutic treatment for focal lesions of cartilage. During the process of isolation and culture of chondrocytes some problems that render the implantation of the cells unsuitable can occur. For security, some cells must be stored using cryopreservation. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of cryopreservation on cellular viability, proliferation, and collagen expression of human chondrocytes. Human osteoarthritic cartilage (n = 23) was obtained and transferred to a sterile flask containing Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) and antibiotics. Chondrocytes were isolated, cultured for 3-4 weeks, and frozen in DMEM containing 10% human serum and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide by use of three different protocols. A cellular fraction was frozen directly to -80 degrees C (Protocol I). Another fraction was directly frozen to -80 degrees C and 24 h later introduced into liquid nitrogen (Protocol II). The last aliquot was frozen with controlled freezing using a freezing rate of -1 degrees C/min to a temperature of -40 degrees C, 2 degrees C/min to -60 degrees C, and 5 degrees C/min to -150 degrees C (Protocol III). Cells were cryopreserved for 2 weeks. Cells from each cryopreservation method were then cultured for 7 days and cellular proliferation was evaluated by the counting of the total cells in each flask. Cryopreservation had a negative effect on chondrocyte survival and proliferation. The survival after cryopreservation with the three protocols was 70-75%. There was no significative difference between the methods used to cryopreserve (P = 0.4117). However, there was a significant difference among the donors (P = 0.0111). Cellular proliferation of chondrocytes was reduced by cryopreservation (P = 0.024). The rate of proliferation of different groups was control samples 6.56, Protocol I 4.66, Protocol II 4.69, and Protocol III 5.58. Statistical analysis showed that the programmed protocol was the best method to preserve cellular functions. Chondrocytes were able to express collagen type II 1 week after cryopreservation. Cryopreservation modifies the survival and proliferation of chondrocytes. Of all protocols used to cryopreserve, the programmed protocol seems to be the best technique. Cryopreservation does not alter the collagen type II expression.     

Induction and cryopreservation of embryogenic cultures from nucelli and immature cotyledon cuts of mango (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mangifera indica</Emphasis> L. <Emphasis Type="Italic">var Zihua</Emphasis>)

In this paper, we described the direct somatic embryogenesis from both immature cotyledon cuts and nucelli in the same mango cultivar (Mangifera indica L. var Zihua), studied the effect of growth conditions of embryogenic cultures (EMs) on cryopreservation and compared the cryopreservation response of EMs induced from these two different explants. Histological studies demonstrated that EMs derived from nucelli could be induced directly from epidermal cells of both sides of nucelli, whereas EMs derived from cotyledon cuts were induced only from epidermal cells of the adaxial side of the cotyledons. EMs from either nucelli or cotyledon cuts could be maintained in liquid medium or on solid medium and cryopreserved using a vitrification procedure. Success of cryopreservation of EMs depended on the dehydration treatment and the defined growth conditions during culture but not on their origins. When EMs were sampled during their exponential growth phase in liquid medium and dehydrated with PVS₃ solution for 5 min, survival of the EMs induced from cotyledon cuts and nucelli reached 77.7 and 80%, respectively, after cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen for 24 h. Furthermore, when dehydrated with PVS₃ solution for 30 min, all EMs induced from cotyledon cuts and 96.7% of EMs induced from nucelli could survive after cryopreservation. Cryopreservation did not affect the plant regeneration potential of EMs through somatic embryogenesis. The protocols of somatic embryogenesis and cryopreservation of mango EMs established in this study may offer potential ways to improve mango germplasm conservation and genetic improvement.     

Cryopreservation of embryogenic calli of cassava using sucrose cryoprotection and air desiccation

A simplified technique which simultaneously induces and cryoprotects embryogenic calli using sucrose followed by dehydration was developed for the cryopreservation of cassava genetic resources. An initial experiment to optimise the sucrose concentration needed for both embryo production and cryoprotection showed that higher concentrations of sucrose—between 0.4 M and 0.5 M—significantly reduced the viability as well as the number of embryos produced by the embryogenic clumps in the absence of freezing. Post-thaw viability as well as embryogenic competence of clumps depended on the percentage moisture lost, duration of exposure to higher sucrose concentrations and the duration of induction of embryogenic clumps. Extending the period of cryoprotection to 21 days coupled with increased moisture loss (greater than 75%) significantly increased both post-thaw viability and the embryogenic competence of cryopreserved clumps to 95%, while reducing the duration decreased post-thaw viability. Cryopreserved callus clumps developed secondary and cyclic embryos similar to those of the non-cryopreserved controls. The optimised protocol was successfully applied to SM₁-2075-1 Line 1 somatic embryos. The rate of plant recovery from cryopreserved embryos of both TME 9 and SM₁-2075-1 Line 1 was comparable to that of the non-cryopreserved embryos. Successful cryopreservation of embryogenic clumps of cassava can be used to establish in vitro genebanks for long-term conservation of cassava genetic resources to complement field genebanks and other in vitro methods already being used.Communicated by M.R. Davey     

Cryopreservation of apices of in vitro plantlets of sugarcane (Saccharum sp. hybrids) using encapsulation/dehydration

Summary A cryopreservation process using encapsulation/dehydration was set up for apices sampled on in vitro plantlets of sugarcane. After dissection, apices were cultured for one day on standard medium and then encapsulated in medium with 3% alginate. Optimal conditions comprised preculture for 2 days in liquid medium with 250 g.l^–1 sucrose, desiccation for 6 hours under the laminar flow or for 10–11 hours with silicagel followed by rapid freezing and slow thawing. Survival after freezing in liquid nitrogen ranged between 38 and 91% for the 5 varieties experimented. Cryopreservation did not modify the electrophoretic profiles for aminoleucine peptidases and amylases with plants of the variety Co 6415.Abbreviations BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - KIN Kinetin - EDTA ethylenediamine tetracetic acid - AMP aminoleucine peptidases - AMY amylases - RFLP restriction fragment length polymorphism     

Freezing of dehydrated calli of spring wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.) in liquid nitrogen and their morphogenetic potential

A cryopreservation method developed earlier was modified for freezing of calli derived from mature embryos of four spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) pure lines. The effects of particular stages of cryopreservation protocol on water content, number of calli recovering growth, and rate of morphogenesis were analyzed. Regrowth was observed in 90.5–100% of calli after dehydration and in 93.3–100% after freezing-thawing. Dehydration, but not freeze-thawing significantly decreased the frequency of morphogenetic variation.     

A novel method of cryopreservation without a cryoprotectant for immature somatic embryos of conifer

Cryopreservation of embryogenic tissue is an essential storage step in genotype selection and seedling production through somatic embryogenesis. To date, immature conifer somatic embryos, at the proliferation step, were only able to tolerate ultra low temperature after prior cryoprotectant treatments. We report a novel cryopreservation method for conifer (interior spruce and Douglas-fir) embryogenic tissue focusing on the maturation step of developing embryos that forgoes such cryoprotectant treatment. In this study, somatic embryos matured on culture media containing abscisic acid (ABA) at 20°C for 8 weeks. Typically, matured embryos in this manner were able to survive cryopreservation. The embryogenicity, however, decreased with increasing embryo maturity. Non-freezing low temperatures, such as 5°C, not only inhibited cotyledon development but also maintained embryogenicity. Cryotolerance was successfully induced when embryos were matured (or pretreated) under 5°C for a suitable culture period, typically 4–8 weeks. These embryos were able to survive a rapid cooling process and liquid nitrogen storage without the addition of any cryoprotectants. After cryopreservation, embryogenic tissue was recovered in both interior spruce and Douglas-fir. Embryo maturation tests indicated no difference in mature embryo yields with or without cryopreservation in interior spruce. The key factors inducing cryotolerance included ABA supplementation in culture media and low temperature pretreatment. Optimum combinations of these factors can result in high rates of tissue survival and high embryogenicity after cryopreservation.     

Patterns of ISSR and REMAP DNA markers after cryogenic preservation of spring wheat calli by dehydration method

Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP) markers were applied to study the influence of successive steps of dehydration cryopreservation on DNA in recovered calli and regenerated plants of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The precultivation step had no influence on the genetic stability of plant material. After the dehydration step, a new fragment appeared in the REMAP profiles for one DNA sample of calli of Nv16 line. A fragment of similar length was observed in one DNA sample for calli regenerated after complete procedure of cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen (−196°C). However, in samples of calli cultured in vitro for two and four weeks after any type of treatments, the amplicon spectra exhibited no difference from those of starting materials. The amplicon profiles of plants regenerated from calli after successive steps of cryopreservation were also identical to the profiles of the mother plants.     

Cryopreservation of embryogenic suspension cultures of Cyclamen persicum Mill.

We have developed a simple protocol for the cryopreservation of embryogenic suspension cultures of Cyclamen persicum. Embryogenic suspension cultures in the linear growth phase 7–10 days after subculture were used for cryopreservation. Of the different cryoprotectants tested during a 2-day pre-culture, 0.6 M sucrose resulted in the highest re-growth rates of 75%. An additional pre-treatment with 0.6 M sucrose and 10% DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide) for 1 h also positively affected re-growth. Microscopic studies on viability revealed that only few small embryogenic cells survived cryopreservation, while vacuolated single cells died. Experiments in which the duration of the pre-culture period—i.e. the length of time the embryogenic suspension cells were exposed to 0.6 M sucrose—was varied showed that 2–4 days was the most optimal exposure time to 0.6 M sucrose. Callus re-grown after cryopreservation showed growth rates similar to that of unfrozen callus and regenerated even higher numbers of somatic embryos than unfrozen callus.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - DM Dry mass - DMSO Dimethylsulfoxide - FDA Fluorescein diacetate - FM Fresh mass - 2IP 6-(,-Dimethylallylamino)purine - LN Liquid nitrogen - rpm Rounds per minute - SCV Sedimented cell volume     

Plant regeneration through callus initiation from thin mature embryo fragments of wheat

A wheat regeneration system was developed using mature embryos. Embryos were removed from surface-sterilised mature caryopses (winter wheat Odeon cultivar and spring wheat Minaret cultivar) and ground to pieces through a sterile nylon mesh. The fragments were characterised by means of the image analysis technique. They were 500 M mean diameter and most of them were elongated. They were used as explants to initiate embryogenic calli on solid medium supplemented with 10 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. The morphogenic pathway of the initiated calli was followed for a 40-day culture period. Active cellular division occurred within 24 hours of cultivation. Several hundred calli were produced from 100 fragmented embryos within 3 days. A 90% callus induction rate was achieved and proembryos appeared by the 8th day of culture. The highest embryogenic calli induction rate of 47% was obtained when 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was suppressed after a 3–4 week induction period. Two regeneration methods were finally compared. A total of 513 plantlets were produced. The optimal protocol produced 25–30 plants per 100 embryos. This regeneration method may be suitable for transformation applications.     

A simple and efficient method for cryopreservation of embryogenic triticale calli

Conventional breeding methods are now supplemented by modern in vitro techniques. However, long term maintenance of cultures has many disadvantages. It incurs risk of loss through microbial contamination, somaclonal variation or human error, but above all the regeneration capacity can decrease gradually during extended maintenance. Cryopreservation as a method of long term storage of biological material without genetic alteration was adapted for embryogenic triticale calli preservation. Callus of both winter and spring genotypes were successfully cryopreserved. The best viability rates (80–85%) were achieved with 6 weeks old winter genotypes treated with cryoprotective solution containing DMSO. This simple and efficient method of cryopreservation requires no special devices for controlled freezing and can be easily adapted for other cereals.     

Cryopreservation of avocado embryogenic cultures using the droplet-vitrification method

This work reports on the cryopreservation of embryogenic cultures of avocado (Persea americana Mill.). Three cryopreservation protocols, based either on slow cooling or vitrification, were tested using two cell lines representative for the two types of embryogenic cultures that can be obtained in this species. Significant interactions between the embryogenic line and the cryopreservation protocol were observed. The best results were obtained when applying the droplet-vitrification method with recovery rates ranging from 77.78 to 100 %. The slow freezing method gave rise to different results depending on the cell line. While 80 % recovery was recorded in line D1, low recovery levels (33.33 %) were achieved in samples from line D31. The effect of different PVS2 incubation times was also evaluated and 60 min was considered as the optimum period. The developmental stage of starting material proved to be a key factor. Explant consisting of a mixture of embryogenic calli and somatic embryos at early stages resulted in the highest recovery rates after thawing.     

A simple cryopreservation protocol of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dioscorea bulbifera</Emphasis> L. embryogenic calli by encapsulation-vitrification

Embryogenic calli of Dioscorea bulbifera L. were successfully cryopreserved using an encapsulation-vitrification method. Embryogenic calli were cooled at 6°C for 5 days on solid MS medium (Murashige and Skoog 1962) containing 2 mg L⁻¹ Kinetin (Kn), 0.5 mg L⁻¹ α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ 2,4-dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid (2,4-D). These were prior precultured on liquid basal MS medium enriched with 0.75 M sucrose at 25 ± 1°C for 7 days. Embryogenic calli were osmoprotected with a mixture of 2 M glycerol and 1 M sucrose for 80 min at 25°C and dropped in a 0.1 M CaCl₂ solution containing 0.4 M sucrose at 25 ± 1°C. After 15 min of polymerization, Ca-alginate beads (about 4 mm in diameter) were dehydrated for 150 min at 0°C in a PVS₂ solution [30% glycerol, 15% ethylene glycol, and 15% dimethyl sulfoxide (w/v)] containing 0.5 M sucrose. The encapsulated embryogenic calli were then plunged directly into LN (liquid nitrogen) for 1 h. After rapid thawing in a water bath (37°C; 2 min), the beads were washed 3 times at 10-min intervals in liquid basal MS medium containing 1.2 M sucrose. Following thawing, the embryogenic calli were transferred to fresh solid basal MS media supplemented with Kn 2 mg L⁻¹, 0.09 M sucrose and 0.75% (w/v) agar (embryoid induction medium) and cultured under light conditions of 12-h photoperiod with a light intensity of 36 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ provided by white cool fluorescent tubes after a 2-day dark period at 25 ± 1°C. After 30 days, the embryoids developed from embryogenic calli were transferred to fresh solid basal MS media supplemented with Kn 2 mg L⁻¹, NAA 0.5 mg L⁻¹, 3% (w/v) sucrose and 0.75% (w/v) agar (regeneration medium). After 60 days, the embryogenic calli developed normal shoots and roots. No morphological abnormalities were observed after plating on the regeneration medium. The survival rate of encapsulated vitrified embryogenic callus reached over 70%. This encapsulation-vitrification method appears promising as a routine and simple method for the cryopreservation of Dioscorea bulbifera embryogenic callus.     

Dried Cryopreserved Somatic Embryos of Two Picea Species Provide Suitable Material for Direct Plantlet Regeneration and Germplasm Storage

The present study aimed to develop a cryopreservation methodfor long-term storage of mature somatic embryos of Picea spp.The effects of drying rate, embryo water content prior to cryopreservation,thawing rate, and rehydration on survival of cryopreserved somaticembryos were investigated. Emphasis was placed on the capacityof cryopreserved somatic embryos to germinate and regenerateplantlets directly, or to reinduce embryogenic tissue for newembryo production. Firstly, a slow drying rate at 97 or 88%relative humidity (RH) was needed to achieve high germination(96.7–100%) and high plantlet conversion rates (26.7–46.7%)(not different from controls). Secondly, somatic embryos hadto reach a water content of 0.23 g H₂O g^-1d.wt (48 h of desiccationat 97% RH) before immersion in liquid nitrogen to germinateat high frequency (93.8%). Thawing techniques had no effecton embryo survival. Dried and cryopreserved somatic embryosof Picea can also be used to reinduce embryogenic tissue andstart new embryo production. Best reinduction frequency (66.7%)was obtained from cryopreserved embryos dried at 97% RH andrehydrated at 100% RH for 12 h prior to reinduction. No differencein embryo production was noticed between the parent line (1stembryogenic cycle) and the sub-lines (2nd embryogenic cycle).Second generation embryos germinated and regenerated into plantletsat rates similar to controls. The optimal cryopreservation methodwas successfully applied to severalP. mariana and P. glaucagenotypes. Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company Picea mariana(Mill) B.S.P., Picea glauca(Moench) Voss, desiccation, embryo water content, thawing, rehydration, embryogenic tissue, genotypes, conifers, clonal propagation     

Cryopreservation of embryogenic tissues from mature holm oak trees

The development of a vitrification method for cryopreservation of embryogenic lines from mature holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) trees is reported. Globular embryogenic clusters of three embryogenic lines grown on gelled medium, and embryogenic clumps of one line collected from liquid cultures, were used as samples. The effect of both high-sucrose preculture and dehydration by incubation in the PVS2 solution for 30–90 min, on both survival and maintenance of the differentiation ability was evaluated in somatic embryo explants with and without immersion into liquid nitrogen. Growth recovery of the treated samples and ability to differentiate cotyledonary embryos largely depended on genotype. Overall, high growth recovery frequencies on gelled medium and increase of fresh weight in liquid medium were obtained in all the tested lines, also after freezing. However, the differentiation ability of the embryogenic lines was severely hampered following immersion into LN. Two of the embryogenic lines from gelled medium were able to recover the differentiation ability, one not. In the lines with reduced or no differentiation ability, variation in the microsatellite markers was observed when comparing samples taken prior to and after cryopreservation. The best results were achieved in the genotype Q8 in which 80% of explants grown on gelled medium differentiated into cotyledonary embryos following cryopreservation when they were precultured on medium with 0.3 M sucrose and then incubated for 30 min in the PVS2 solution. Explants of the same genotype from liquid medium were unable to recover the differentiation ability. A 4-weeks storage period both in liquid nitrogen and in an ultra-low temperature freezer at −80 °C was also evaluated with four embryogenic lines from gelled medium using the best vitrification treatment. Growth recovery frequencies of all lines from the two storage systems were very high, but their differentiation ability was completely lost.     

Optimal conditions for heart cell cryopreservation for transplantation

Cultured myocyte transplantation into an infarcted myocardium has been shown to improve contractile function. Cryopreservation of cultured muscle cells or heart tissue will be important for the technology to be practical. This study, using fetal cardiomyocytes, evaluated the optimal conditions for muscle cell cryopreservation. Study 1: Fetal rat cardiomyocytes were isolated and cultured. The freshly isolated and passage 1, 2, 3 and 4 cells were cryopreserved in a solution containing 70% IMDM, 20% FBS and 10% DMSO and stored in –196°C for 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks. The cells were thawed and cultured. Cell number and contractility were evaluated at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days of culture. Study 2: Rat myocardium was cryopreserved in sizes of 0.2, 2 and 6 mm³ for 1 week. The tissue was thawed and cells were isolated. Cell growth and contractility were evaluated. (1) Cardiomyocytes grew and contracted after cryopreservation. Storage time did not affect cell survival rate, beating cell numbers and beating rates. Increasing cell passage prior to cryopreservation decreased the percentage of beating cells. (2) Cells isolated from cryopreserved tissue grew in vitro and contracted normally. Cell yield decreased with increased cryopreserved tissue size. Fetal rat cardiomyocytes survived and functioned after in vitro cryopreservation. Viable cells can be isolated from cryopreserved myocardium and cultured. Cryopreservation of small pieces of myocardium is preferred for maximal cell yields.     

Histology of somatic embryogenesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coffea arabica</Emphasis> L.

The objective of this study was to characterize the histodifferentiation of somatic embryogenesis obtained from leaf explants of C. arabica. Therefore, we histologically analyzed the respective stages of the process: leaf segments at 0, 4, 7, 15 and 30 days of cultivation, Type 1 primary calli (primary calli with embryogenic competence) and 2 (primary calli with no embryogenic competence), embryogenic calli, globular, torpedo and cotyledonary embryos, and mature zygotic embryos. Callus formation occurred after seven days of culture, with successive divisions of procambium cell. In this cultivation phase, it was found that Type 1 primary calli are basically formed by parenchymal cells with reduced intercellular spacing, whereas Type 2 primary calli are predominantly composed of parenchymal cells with ample intercellular spaces and embryogenic calli composed entirely of meristematic cells. After 330 days, it was evident from the differentiation of somatic embryogenesis that there was formation of globular somatic embryos, consisting of a characteristic protoderm surrounding the fundamental meristem. With the maturation of these propagules after 360 days, torpedo-stage somatic embryos arose, in which tissue polarization and early differentiation of procambial strands were verified. After 390 days, cotyledonary somatic embryos were obtained, where the onset of vessel elements differentiation was verified, a characteristic also observed in mature zygotic embryos. We concluded that somatic embryogenesis obtained from C. arabica leaves initiates from procambium cell divisions that, in the course of cultivation, produce mature somatic embryos suitable for regenerating whole plants.