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Updated: Jan 19, 2026
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A Whole Mount In Situ Hybridization Method for the Gastropod Mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis
Published on: March 15, 2016
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Methods in Brain Development of Molluscs.
Andreas Wanninger1, Tim Wollesen2
1Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. andreas.wanninger@univie.ac.at.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 26, 2019
Summary
New protocols enable detailed neural structure reconstructions in molluscs using immunocytochemistry and gene expression analysis. This facilitates large-scale comparative studies of neurogenesis and nervous system evolution.
Area of Science:
- Neurobiology
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Molluscs are established models in neurobiological research.
- Recent advancements allow detailed neural reconstructions of small organisms and developmental stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe protocols for immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization.
- To enable large-scale comparative analyses of neurogenesis in molluscs.
Main Methods:
- Whole-mount preparations of developmental stages (70-300 μm).
- Vibratome and cryostat sectioning of complex brains.
- Immunocytochemistry and gene expression analyses with confocal laser-scanning microscopy.
Main Results:
- Detailed reconstructions of neural structures are rapidly generated.
- Protocols are optimized for marine molluscs but adaptable to other marine organisms.
Conclusions:
- The described methods facilitate efficient, large-scale comparative studies of neurogenesis.
- These studies are crucial for understanding the evolution of animal nervous systems.
