A Method for Collecting Dried Plant Specimens for DNA and Isozyme Analyses, and the Results of a Field Test in Xinjiang, China

Abstract

RESULTS OFA FIELD TEST IN XINJIANG, CHINA Liston, Aaron et al. 1990. "A Method for Collecting Dried Plant Specimens for DNA and Isozyme Analyses, and the Results of a Field Test in Xinjiang, China."

A hands-on overview of tissue preservation methods for molecular genetic analyses

“…It is successfully applicable to the transport or short-term preservation of various plant tissues, especially leaves (Liston et al 1990). It performs relatively well in the short term, and can be regenerated, but has severe drawbacks for archival storage as it adsorbs less moisture than silica gel.…”

An improved non-cryogenic transport and storage preservative facilitating DNA extraction from 'difficult' plants collected at remote sites

“…However, studies concerned with phylogenetic relationships, or with genetic resources and diversity, often depend on gathering, storage and transport of plant samples in remote localities where cryogenic facilities are unavailable. In such cases, procedures involving desiccation (Doyle & Dickson 1987) especially with silica gel (Chase & Hills 1991) and calcium sulphate (Liston et al 1990), or pickling in NaCl-CTAB (saturated brine containing cetyl trimethylammonium bromide detergent/disinfectant; Rogstad 1992) have dramatically improved success rates in obtaining workable DNA. Nevertheless, there remain many intransigent species for which current non-cryogenic methods have proved inadequate.…”

“…During phylogenetic studies of ferns (Family Dennstaedtiaceae; Thomson 2000), tests of field-drying (Liston et al 1990;Chase & Hills 1991) resulted in low yields of discoloured DNA of short fragment lengths. Preservation in NaCl-CTAB (Rogstad 1992) proved better, although DNA yields were variable and of unreliable quality.…”

DNA banking for plant breeding, biotechnology and biodiversity evaluation

“…1) and can be done by rapid drying of plant material in silica gel (Chase and Hills 1991;Pyle and Adams 1989). Air-drying (Taylor and Swann 1994), or the use of anhydrous calcium sulphate as a desiccating agent, has also proven successful (Liston et al 1990). We find that preservation in silica gel is most appropriate as a general drying method; approximately 50 g of silica gel will reliably desiccate 1 g fresh weight of leaf material for most species of higher plants.…”