CryoLetters 22, 299-310 (2001)
CryoLetters, c/o Royal Veterinary College, London NW1 OTU, UK
*Institute of Marine Biology, Far East Branch of Russian
Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia 690041.
**Far Eastern State University, Vladivostok, Russia 690090. E-mail: kkv5@mail.ru.
Abstract
Primary cell cultures obtained from somatic and larval tissues of bivalve molluscs
and from embryos of sea urchins were frozen to -196oC by two-step freezing using
10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or/and trehalose (3-30mg/ml) as cryoprotectants.
We estimated both cell viability and the RNA synthetic activity after freeze-thaw.
Total lipid extracts from the tissues of echinoderms examined as possible cryoprotective
agents demonstrated a weak cryoprotective capacity. Mussel lipid extract was
found to possess a considerable cryoprotective activity. Cryoprotective capacity
of tested lipids correlated with their thermotropic behaviour. DMSO + trehalose
combination was shown to be a favourable cryoprotectant and sea urchin blastula
cells the most freezing-tolerant cells.