Relationships of Membrane Phospholipids to Freezing Resistance of Cultured Green Lavandula vera Cells

Abstract

The fatty acid compositions of membrane phospholipids in selected freezing-resistant cells of Lavandula vera and unselected original cells subjected to freeze-thaw procedure were studied. The degree of the fatty acid unsaturation of phosphatidylcholine in the freezing-resistant cells increased significantly when the cells were treated with cryoprotectant at 0°C for 2hr and the cells survived subsequent cryostorage in liquid nitrogen. However, the increase in the degree of the fatty acid unsaturation of phosphatidylcholine in the unselected original cells was slight and the cells could not survive subsequent cryostorage. These results suggest that the increase in the unsaturation of membrane phospholipid fatty acids plays an important role in the freezing resistance of cultured green Lavandula vera cells.