Simple solution to preserve plant samples for microbiome analyses

Culture-independent survey techniques are fundamental tools when assessing plant microbiomes. These methods rely on DNA that is carefully preserved after collecting samples to achieve meaningful results. Immediately freezing samples to −80°C after collection is considered one of the most robust methods for preserving samples before DNA extraction but is often impractical. Preservation solutions can solve this problem, but commercially available products are expensive, and there is limited data comparing their efficacy with other preservation methods. In this study, we compared the impact of three methods of sample preservation on plant microbiome surveys: (1) RNAlater, a proprietary preservative, (2) a home-made salt-saturated dimethyl sulphoxide preservation solution (DESS), and (3) freezing at −80°C. DESS-preserved samples, stored at room temperature for up to four weeks, did not show any significant differences to samples frozen at −80°C, while RNAlater inflated bacterial alpha diversity. Preservation treatments did not distinctively influence fungal alpha diversity. Our results demonstrate that DESS is a versatile and inexpensive preservative of DNA in plant material for diversity analyses of fungi and bacteria.