Gene Expression in Response to Cryoprotectant and Liquid Nitrogen Exposure in Arabidopsis Shoot Tips

Arabidopsis thaliana is an ideal model system to study plant cryopreservation at the molecular level. We have developed reliable cryopreservation methods for Arabidopsis shoot tips using the cryoprotectant Plant Vitrification Solution 3. We have made use of the fully sequenced Arabidopsis genome and readily available microarray slides representing 29,000 genes to compare the gene expression patterns among dissected control shoot tips, cryoprotectant-treated shoot tips, liquid nitrogen-treated shoot tips, and post-exposure recovering shoot tips. Genes upregulated during recovery after PVS3 and liquid nitrogen exposure encode proteins involved in response to stimuli such as cold, heat, water deprivation, and oxidative stress. Further investigation of the identified genes may reveal common genetic responses to cryoprotectants as well as suites of genes whose expression correlates with enhanced survival after cryoexposure.