Molluscan cells in culture: primary cell cultures and cell lines

Abstract

In vitro cell culture systems from molluscs have significantly contributed to our basic understanding of complex physiological processes occurring within or between tissue-specific cells, yielding information unattainable using intact animal models. In vitro cultures of neuronal cells from gastropods show how simplified cell models can inform our understanding of complex networks in intact organisms. Primary cell cultures from marine and freshwater bivalve and gastropod species are used as biomonitors for environmental contaminants, as models for gene transfer technologies, and for studies of innate immunity and neoplastic disease. Despite efforts to isolate proliferative cell lines from molluscs, the snail Biomphalaria glabrata Say, 1818 embryonic (Bge) cell line is the only existing cell line originating from any molluscan species. Taking an organ systems approach, this review summarizes efforts to establish molluscan cell cultures and describes the varied applications of primary cell cultures in research. Because of the unique status of the Bge cell line, an account is presented of the establishment of this cell line, and of how these cells have contributed to our understanding of snail host-parasite interactions. Finally, we detail the difficulties commonly encountered in efforts to establish cell lines from molluscs and discuss how these difficulties might be overcome.

Antiviral immunity in marine molluscs

“…Less is known regarding the activity of AMPs against molluscan viruses. Investigations into the antiviral activity of molluscan AMPs and tissue homogenates is hampered by the lack of continuous cell lines from marine molluscs (Yoshino et al, 2013) and the fact that OsHV-1 cannot be cultured in primary cell cultures from bivalves (details in Garcia et al, 2011). Numerous studies have therefore utilized a heterologous model involving HSV-1 and African green monkey kidney (Vero) cells to identify antiviral compounds in tissue homogenates from commercially important bivalves (Carriel-Gomes et al, 2006;Defer et al, 2009;Green et al, 2014c;Olicard et al, 2005a, b;Segarra et al, 2014a;Zeng et al, 2008) and gastropods (Dang et al, 2011;Zanjani et al, 2014).…”

“…Very few studies have investigated the antiviral responses of molluscs (reviewed by Loker et al, 2004). Routine techniques used in virology and immunobiology are complicated by the absence of continuous cell lines for marine molluscs (Yoshino et al, 2013) and the fact that marine viruses cannot be propagated in the freshwater pond snail (Biomphalaria glabrata) embryonic cell line (Bge) or in molluscan primary cell cultures (further details in Garcia et al, 2011). Therefore, knowledge gaps remain regarding the antiviral responses of molluscs.…”

Endogenous growth factor stimulation of hemocyte proliferation induces resistance to Schistosoma mansoni challenge in the snail host

“…Both snail populations are maintained in colonies at the University of Alberta as previously described (34). The Bge cell line (35) (American Type Culture Collection NR-21959) was maintained in Bge cell medium by using established protocols (36).…”

Marine Snails and Slugs: a Great Place To Look for Antiviral Drugs

“…The antiviral properties of molluscan compounds against their own viruses are largely untested. The lack of proliferative cell lines derived from molluscs presents great difficulties in reproducing molluscan viruses in vitro (18). While in vivo infection systems have been developed for some molluscan species, such as the use of an experimental immersion challenge system for the study of abalone herpesvirus infections in Australian abalone (19), there a only few such models for infecting molluscs.…”