Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41736378›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of botany2026

Aging and longevity in decades-old genebanked seeds from U.S. endangered plant species: Assessments using survival and RNA integrity assays.

Christina Walters, Katherine D Heineman, Lisa Hill, Hannah Tetreault, Parker Tyler, Zoe Zingerman, Shaimaa Ibrahim, Joyce Maschinski

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
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Article in American journal of botany, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Christina WaltersUSDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, 1111 South Mason Street, Fort Collins, 80521, Colorado, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9035-945X
Katherine D HeinemanCenter for Plant Conservation, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, 92027, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9272-5831
Lisa HillUSDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, 1111 South Mason Street, Fort Collins, 80521, Colorado, USA.
Hannah TetreaultUSDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, 1111 South Mason Street, Fort Collins, 80521, Colorado, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5911-7316
Parker TylerUSDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, 1111 South Mason Street, Fort Collins, 80521, Colorado, USA.ORCID 0009-0009-9530-9660
Zoe ZingermanUSDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, 1111 South Mason Street, Fort Collins, 80521, Colorado, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-0515-1195
Shaimaa IbrahimUSDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, 1111 South Mason Street, Fort Collins, 80521, Colorado, USA.ORCID 0009-0008-1939-1896
Joyce MaschinskiCenter for Plant Conservation, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, 92027, California, USA.

Funding

Institute of Museum and Library Services MG-245983-OMS-20
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

premiseSeed longevity is critical for successful genebanking, but it is hard to detect or predict. We examined survival of genebanked seeds from species native to the United States to estimate longevity. We tested whether RNA integrity (RIN) can be used to detect aging and predict mortality.

methodsDry seeds from >100 species were stored for 28 ± 7 yr at -18°C. A recently harvested sample (cohort) from the same population provides a zero-time reference. Germination and RIN were assessed and differences between cohorts were used to distinguish short-lived seeds from long-lived seeds.

resultsNo differences in germination or RIN were detected between cohorts in about one-fourth of the species. Viability and/or RIN was lower in the stored cohort than in the recently harvested cohort in most species, and the size of the difference was used to infer aging rates. Differences in germination and RIN were correlated among the 100 samples tested; moderate correlation coefficients indicate that additional factors are involved in seed aging and its detection.

conclusionsOverall, longevity in the genebank appears to be similar for seeds from wild and domesticated species. We identified species that appeared to produce quite long-lived and short-lived seeds. Seeds from wild species tend to germinate slowly and asynchronously, and this confounds comparisons across storage times; deterioration is detected mostly after severe mortality. By contrast, RIN values decline before viability loss is detected and appear to be unaffected by wild seed traits. RIN tests during early storage can help predict seed longevity.

Indexed as

Endangered SpeciesRNA, PlantSeed BankSeedsGerminationUnited StatesRNA, Plantgenebankgerminationlong‐term storageRINRNA integrityseed agingseed dormancyseed longevityseed storageviability assaywild species

Identifiers

PMID41736378
PMCPMC13003721

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.