Cryopreservation of a Myovirus Infecting the Toxin-Producing Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

Abstract

We optimized conditions for cryopreservation of a cyanophage (Ma-LMM01) infecting the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The quality of cryopreservation was estimated by comparing the phage titer before and after preservation at 4, -80, or -196°C and with or without a cryoprotectant: glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or Cellbanker. Storage at 4°C for 100 days resulted in ~90% loss of infectivity; whereas cryopreservation at -196°C resulted in stable preservation with or without cryoprotectant. Therefore, we established methods to stably preserve the phage, Ma-LMM01, that may be useful in further studies of cyanophages and may be used in isolating new phages. © 2007, Japanese Society of Microbial Ecology & The Japanese Society of Soil Microbiology. All rights reserved.