CRYOCONSERVATION OF POTATO BREEDING CULTIVARS AT VIR

Cryopreservation of 20 potato breading cultivars was carried out using an original modification of the DV-Biotech droplet vitrification method. The post-cryogenic regeneration frequency of the apical buds was significantly (

ADAPTATION OF IN VITRO BLACKBERRY PLANTS TO FIELD ENVIRONMENTS

Iability of blackberry accessions in vivo after in vitro culture storage was analyzed. Phenological development phases of adult plants, crop yield and water regime were studied in the field. Adaptability of the accessions to adverse environmental factors (frost, drought and heat resistance, resistance to fungal infections) was evaluated

Genome assembly of Vitis rotundifolia Michx. using third-generation sequencing (Oxford Nanopore Technologies)

The immune North American grapevine species Vitis rotundifolia Michaux (subgen. Muscadinia Planch.) is regarded as a potential donor of disease resistance genes, withstanding such dangerous diseases of grapes as powdery and downy mildews. The cultivar ‘Dixie’ is the only representative of this species preserved ex situ in Russia: it is maintained by the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) in the orchards of its branch, Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station. Third-generation sequencing on the MinION platform was performed to obtain information on the primary structure of the cultivar’s genomic DNA, employing also the results of Illumina sequencing available in databases. A detailed description of the technique with modifications at various stages is presented, as it was used for grapevine genome sequencing and whole-genome sequence assembly. The modified technique included the main stages of the original protocol recommended by the MinION producer: 1) DNA extraction; 2) preparation of libraries for sequencing; 3) MinION sequencing and bioinformatic data processing; 4) de novo whole-genome sequence assembly using only MinION data or hybrid assembly (MinION+Illumina data); and 5) functional annotation of the whole-genome assembly. Stage 4 included not only de novo sequencing, but also the analysis of the available bioinformatic data, thus minimizing errors and increasing precision during the assembly of the studied genome. The DNA isolated from the leaves of cv. ‘Dixie’ was sequenced using two MinION flow cells (R9.4.1)

On the results of the First Scientific Forum «Genetic Resources of Russia»: prospects for development, research and practical potential of bio-collections

Nine separate scientific conferences and school-conferences dedicated to the conservation, development, study and practical use of biological collections of various types were held under the auspices of the First Scientific Forum “Genetic Resources of Russia”, which took place in Saint Petersburg on 21-24 June 2022. A total of more than 300 oral presentations were made at these events. The Forum plenary sessions, which included 25 lectures, attracted more than 1,500 participants. The development prospects, research and scientific-practical potential of biological collections were thoroughly discussed at the events of the Forum. The results of these discussions are presented in this publication in the form of a Forum resolution. The strategic role of biological collections for the conservation of genetic diversity, for the scientific and technological development of society and for the provision of educational processes is emphasized. This strategic framework, which should be developed and maintained, also makes it possible to implement practical tasks related to meeting the challenges in the field of food and environmental security, health care and technological independence in the rapidly developing spheres of the economy

Cryoconservation methods for vegetatively propagated crops

This article presents a review of cryopreservation methods used to create cryocollections of plant genetic resources. The application of cryopreservation methods for the long-term conservation of the vegetatively propagated crops started relatively recently. About 60 years ago, the first methods of programmable (slow) freezing of plant objects were developed. The modern methods include such fast freezing techniques as encapsulation-dehydration, vitrification, encapsulation-vitrification, droplet-method, and droplet-vitrification. These methods are used for cryopreservation of accessions from the field genbanks and samples from in vitro collections. The review considers the main factors determining the viability and regeneration rates of explants after freezing-rewarming. The greatest impact on the efficiency of post-cryogenic explants recovery is provided by such factors as the method of the initial microplants pre-treatment, explant and cryoprotectant type, duration of the explant treatment with cryoprotectants, the composition of the nutrient medium for the post-cryogenic recovery, and the accession genotypic characteristics. The review discusses the rules for the collections formation and cryobanking development. The data on the largest cryocollections of cultivated plant species are presented