PRESERVATION OF PLANT SAMPLES FOR DNA RESTRICTION ENDONUCLEASE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Summary A major obstacle facing many taxonomists interested in analyzing variation at the DNA level is the preservation of their plant material, since plants are often collected far from laboratory facilities. We have studied effect of several commonly used preservation techniques on the quality of DNA isolated from preserved tissue. Chemical treatments (FAA, ethanol, Carnoy's solution, chloroformethanol) all result in DNA degradation; drying tissue, on the other hand, preserves DNA integrity, at least over a several month period. High molecular weight DNA suitable for restriction endonuclease digestion and analysis by DNA hybridization was isolated from dried leaves up to two years old. This suggests that recently‐prepared dried specimens may represent an alternative to fresh tissue in molecular plant systematic studies.