Xin-Xiong Lu

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. is an important medicinal species from China that has been used for thousands of years for its special pharmacological antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antithrombotic, antiviral, and anticarcinogenic activities. The aim of this research was to develop an efficient droplet-vitrification protocol for A. macrocephala shoot tips which could be used as a strategy for long-term conservation within gene banks. The duration of preculture, loading, and PVS2 steps, as well as the recovery medium formulation, were optimized to achieve high levels of survival and regrowth for A. macrocephala shoot tips after liquid nitrogen exposure. Survival and regrowth levels after cryopreservation in the cultivar 'Baizhu' were as high as 76% and 62%, respectively. Thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimetry suggested that the PVS2 treatment plays a critical role for successful cryopreservation. The droplet-vitrification method established in this study could be used to cryopreserve A. macrocephala.

Previous understanding of the mechanism of seed ageing is largely based on observations on imbibed seeds rather than dry seeds. The present research was conducted to investigate whether seed ageing has effects on the dry seeds through proteome analysis. Maize (Zea mays cv. Dabaitou) seeds were artificially aged at 50°C (13.58% moisture content) for 5 or 13 days, and the total protein was extracted from embryos of the dry seeds. Two‐dimensional electrophoresis was performed and the differentially expressed proteins were identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry. A total of 40 proteins were identified, in which 16 proteins were upregulated, indicating that artificial ageing affected the proteome of the dry seeds. Proteomic studies revealed that the signal transduction and transcription were disturbed by artificial ageing, which might lead to reduced protection against ageing. Artificial ageing also increased proteases and broke down stored proteins, impaired metabolism and energy supply, and ultimately resulted in seed deterioration. Proteins involved in metabolism and energy were the largest downregulated protein group, with regard to glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. The downregulation of these proteins, together with reduction in the specific activity of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, and the content of glucose 6‐phosphate, pyruvic acid and ATP in aged seeds, suggested the important roles of the mobilization of stored carbohydrates and energy supply in seed ageing and seed vigor. The present work provides new information about the proteomic changes during seed ageing and provides a possible mechanism for seed deterioration.

A total of 50 potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties were maintained in vitro or under field conditions at Keshan National Genebank (KNG) for 15 years. At the end of the conservation period, a two-year field trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of conservation methods on the genetic stability of accessions, using agronomic characters, isoenzyme markers, and DNA molecular markers. None of the 50 varieties maintained under field conditions had completely preserved agronomic characters. Plants kept in vitro demonstrated still lower level of stability than those conserved under field conditions. Differences in the isoenzyme electrophoresis patterns were found in ten of the varieties tested. The SSR (simple sequence repeat) analysis indicated genetic variation between each variety maintained in vitro and under field conditions and showed the genetic similarity coefficient ranged from 0.735 to 0.993. Three of the accessions maintained in vitro and under field conditions did not cluster together. The results suggest that the genetic stability of varieties maintained under field conditions was higher than those maintained in vitro. Therefore, in order to maintain the genetic integrity of potato germplasm resources, field conservation should be used for long-term conservation of potato germplasm collections, and the genetic stability should be checked regularly.