CaCO3 crystallization in primary culture of mantle epithelial cells of freshwater pearl mussel

• Published in: Current science (Bangalore) 2004-03, Vol.86 (5), p.730-734
• Main Authors: Barik, S K, Jena, J K, Ram, K J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Freshwater; Lamellidens marginalis
• ISSN: 0011-3891

The foundation of natural pearl formation by molluscs is calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite crystals, secreted essentially by the epithelial cells of mantle tissue as nacre. The in vitro explant culture of Nacre-secreting pallial mantle explants of Lamellidens marginalis was attempted and vital steps to accomplish this included depuration of pearl mussels with different physical and chemical agents to eradicate various commensal flora and fauna, removal of pallial mantle ribbon, aseptic preparation of explants from the ribbon and transfer of those explants into tissue-culture petri dishes. Special synthetic tissue-culture media enriched with additives, viz. inactivated calf foetal serum and antibiotics were poured into plates with explants. The culture plates were incubated in a carbon dioxide incubator at 5% CO sub(2) and at 30 degree C. After 12 h epithelial-like cells began to migrate out and they formed a complete cell sheet surrounding the explant within 7-10 days. Most importantly, cells in the culture indicated functional viability, as subsequently after 38-40 days of culture typical aragonitic crystals of CaCO sub(3) could be observed throughout the culture plates.