Evaluation of the effect of plant material storage on DNA quantity and quality, with a view to implementing a sample storage management policy

Abstract

URFM stores more than 40,000 plant samples either at -20°C or at room temperature after dehydration. The aim of the project presented in this article was to evaluate the quantity and quality of DNA obtained from samples of four Mediterranean tree species. To evaluate DNA quality, we performed genotyping and sequencing analyses commonly used in the laboratory. Our results showed a variation among species in the quantity and the quality of DNA in function of the method and duration of sample conservation. In addition, samples retained over the longest period or with the most basic (dry) method are not those with the poorest DNA quality.