Concepts in Cryobionomics: a Case Study of Ribes Genotype Responses to Cryopreservation in Relation to Thermal Analysis, Oxidative Stress, Nucleic Acid Methylation & Transcriptional Activity

Abstract

Cryobionomics is a conceptual framework linking disparate aspects of cryo-injury to genetic instability through a fundamental knowledge of an organism prior to its reintroduction into the environment [1]. Cryo-injury as a differential genotype response remains one of the most significant restrictions to applying cryopreservation to clonally propagated plants. Ribes, is generally amenable to cryobanking and genotypes display diverse responses to cryo-preservation [2-5]. These cannot be attributed to biophysical factors alone as demonstrated by DSC [5,7]. Ribes has been used effectively [2,3] to identify critical point factors in technology transfer, so it is unlikely that genotype variability can be assigned to technical parameters. Multi-disciplinary approaches [7-11] are required to elucidate causal factors of genotype variability. An ongoing case study [2- 11] of Ribes exploring the molecular-physiological basis of genotype response to cryopreservation is described. Temperate woody perennials are ideal subjects, as their amenability to cryopreservation is moderated by acclimation, a programmed life-cycle adaptation. A model is presented to elucidate the roles of, and connectivity between epigenetic and oxidative processes in genotypic responses of clonal crop plants to cryopreservation.