Long-term culture of decapsulated gastropod embryos: a transplantation study

Encapsulated embryos of the pond snail Helisoma trivolvis have been useful for examining neural development and neural circuit function during development. However, their full potential in developmental studies is limited by the lack of an effective method for long-term culture of decapsulated embryos. In the present study, decapsulated early embryos were either cultivated ex ovo in various media under different environmental conditions or transplanted into host egg capsules. Although diluted capsular fluid, 30% M199, and albumen-gland-conditioned medium were partially effective in promoting embryonic growth for a short time, none of the media promoted normal embryonic development in long-term tests. In contrast, after previously decapsulated and experimentally manipulated embryos were transplanted into host capsules, their growth and development were similar to their intact siblings. In combination with laser ablation, this transplantation technique was used to demonstrate the role played by a pair of serotonergic neurons in regulating an embryonic rotational behavior. These results suggest that embryonic transplantation is an extremely effective technique for achieving long-term growth and development of previously decapsulated embryos and therefore can be instrumental in investigating cell lineage, function, and development in encapsulated embryos.