LABORATORY CULTURE OF HERMISSENDA

该研究项目的主要目标是，并将继续是 开发可靠地使裸鳃类软体动物， 厚角Hermissenda crassicornis，将在实验室培养中饲养和维持 为建立一个标准化的，非哺乳动物，海洋 用于生物医学研究的实验动物。 遗传的，营养的， 每个成年人的行为和环境经验和历史可以是 因为它们将通过精确建立的方法产生。 它们将是无病的，它们的性能和可靠性， 研究用途的可变性将更小，因此更可预测。 这一努力 将支持越来越多地使用Hermissenda作为高连接模型 用于学习和记忆研究。 为了实现优化幼虫营养的最初具体目标， 抑制成功幼虫培养的兼性病原体的控制 到蜕变，我们已经成功了。 我们现在可以可靠地 后Hermissenda通过其整个生命周期：从鸡蛋到鸡蛋， F2代，现在将扩大我们的努力，以（1）最大化 高繁殖力和发育率的成年维持条件 稳定的全年基础;（2）最大限度地提高幼虫的能力，变态 通过探索自然和人工的诱导和幼鱼生长 变质诱导剂和饲料;（3）形态学上的界定和分期 主要幼虫和幼鱼器官系统的个体发育，包括 神经系统及其神经化学递质的作用， 实验操作和使用毒性类似物;（4）选择， 建立和测试特定近交系的遗传同质性 非常适合实验室培养的Hermissenda菌株， 显示性格特征（学习能力），这将提高这一点 物种在神经生物学中用作高连通性模型系统。

The major objective of this research project is and continues to be the development of methods which will reliably enable the nudibranch mollusc, Hermissenda crassicornis, to be reared and maintained in laboratory culture for the purpose of establishing it as a standardized, non-mammalian, marine laboratory animal for biomedical research. The genetic, trophic, behavioral, and environmental experience and history of each adult can be defined because they will be produced by precisely established methods. They will be disease free and their performance and reliability for research use will be less variable and hence more predictable. this effort will support the growing use of Hermissenda as a high connectivity model for learning and memory studies. Towards the original specific aims of optimizing larval nutrition and control of facultative pathogens inhibiting successful larval culture through to metamorphosis, we have been successful. We can now reliably rear Hermissenda through its entire life cycle: from egg to egg through the F2 generation and will now extend our efforts towards (1) maximizing adult maintenance conditions for high fecundity and development rates on a steady year-round basis; (2) maximizing larval competency, metamorphic induction and juvenile growth through exploring natural and artificial metamorphic inducers and diets; (3) defining and staging morphologically the ontogeny of major larval and juvenile organ systems to include th nervous system and the role of its neurochemical transmitters by experimental manipulations and using toxic analogs; (4) selecting, establishing, and testing the genetic homogeneity of specific inbred strains of Hermissenda that are well-adapted to laboratory culture and display character traits (learning abilities) which will enhance this species use as a high connectivity model system in neurobiology.