Marine Invertebrate Cell Cultures: New Millennium Trends

Abstract

This review analyzes activities in the field of marine invertebrate cell culture during the years 1999 to 2004 and compares the outcomes with those of the preceding decade (1988 to 1998). During the last 5 years, 90 reports of primary cell culture studies of marine organisms belonging to only 6 taxa (Porifera, Cnidaria, Crustacea, Mollusca, Echinodermata, and Urochordata) have been published. This figure represents a 2-fold increase in the annual number of publications over the decade 1988 to 1998. Three other trends distinguish the two reviewed periods. First, in recent years studies attempting to improve cell culture methodologies have decreased, while interest in applications of already existing methodologies has increased. This reflects the effects of short-term cultures in attracting new researchers and scientific disciplines to the field. Second, only 17.8% of the recent publications used long-term cultures, compared with 30.0% of the publications in the previous decade. Third, during recent years research in cell cultures has studied fewer model species more extensively (mainly, Botryllus schlosseri, Crassostrea, Mytilus, Penaeus, and Suberites domuncula), signifying a shift from previous investigations that had studied a more diverse range of organisms. From 1988 to 1998 the phylum Mollusca was the most studied taxon (34.4%), but recent years have seen more studies of Porifera and Crustacea (30.0% and 32.2% of publications) than of Mollusca (21.1%). Still, not even a single established cell line from any marine invertebrate has yet been made available. However, the use of new cellular, genomic, and proteomic tools may fundamentally change our strategy for the development of cell cultures from marine invertebrates.

Scleractinian coral cell proliferation is reduced in primary culture of suspended multicellular aggregates compared to polyps

“…Difficulties stem from a limited knowledge about cell nutritional requirements and physiology in vitro that lead to short-term functional viability (Domart-Coulon et al 2004a). Limited tools for characterization of cell types, frequent overgrowth of contaminants (especially chytrid protists) (Rinkevich 1999(Rinkevich , 2005, and a lack of characterization of the proliferating stem cell niches (Rinkevich 2011) add more complexities. Moreover, most unsuccessful strategies have remained unpublished.…”

Establishment of functional primary cultures of heart cells from the clam Ruditapes decussatus

“…Numerous attempts in culturing cells have been performed from different marine or freshwater bivalves (Rinkevich 2005) such as clams (Cecil 1969;Wen et al 1993b;Chen and Wen 1999), mussels (Chardonnet and Pérès 1963;Quinn et al 2009), scallops (Le Marrec-Croq et al 1998Fritayre 2004;Talarmin et al unpublished) and oysters (e.g. Le Deuff et al 1994;Renault et al 1995;Buchanan et al 1999;Chen and Wen 1999;DomartCoulon et al 2000;Pennec et al 2002Pennec et al , 2004Droguet 2006;Talarmin et al 2008).…”

Extracellular matrix production and calcium carbonate precipitation by coral cells in vitro

“…Establishing an in vitro coral cell culture could potentially circumvent these complications and also serve as a model for studying physiological processes at a cellular level. However, no continuous coral cell lines have been developed to date, and maintenance of primary cell cultures has encountered problems such as short-term viability or contamination by unicellular eukaryotic organisms, which eventually overgrow the original coral cells (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)). Here we report on the development of a culturing system that significantly facilitates studies of coral cell physiology.…”