Rice (Oryza sativa L.): Cryopreservation of Cell Cultures

Abstract

The increasing interest in the preservation of plant material for unlimited periods of time has resulted in the establishment of procedures for the preservation of a number of cell types at the temperature of liquid nitrogen. However, no protocol of general application is yet available and different results have been obtained with different cell types. Thus, while at present cryopreservation is considered feasible with different tissue types, i.e., cultured cells, meristem tips, embryos, endosperm, anthers etc., in many plant species, there are still serious limitations upon its application to others. A number of review articles on the low temperature storage of plant tissue cultures have appeared in recent years (Bajaj and Reinert 1977, Withers and Street 1977, Withers 1978a, 1980a, b, Bajaj 1979a, b, 1983d). The present article specifically deals with the freeze-preservation of rice cells. Rice appears to be a particularly suitable material for cryopreservation, as well as for studies on the biochemical and ultrastructural lesions that are caused by the freeze-preservation procedure.