Assays of physicochemical parameters for in vitro cell cultures of Hymeniacidon heliophila (Porifera)

• Grant number: 22/04443-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2022
• End date: June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Márcio Reis Custódio
• Grantee: Beatriz Sandes de Carvalho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Sponges are the oldest metazoan group on the evolutionary scale. Besides playing a significant role in marine ecosystems, they also have great biotechnological potential. However, the group does not have established cell lines and the parameters that influence the in vitro cultivation of cells from these organisms are poorly known. Despite several efforts made over the years, the cell culture method most commonly used today does not allow significant expansion of cell biomass and the reasons for this have yet to be found. In the various attempts to solve this problem, methods, and parameters typical of in vitro cultures of vertebrate cells are used, a group quite distinct from sponges in physiological terms. However, given the peculiar characteristics of these animals, these may not be the most suitable. Therefore, the objective of this project is to evaluate the influence of changes in basic parameters in the in vitro culture of sponge cells, such as the effects of temperature, pH, and different concentrations of potassium, calcium, zinc, and iodine, on the development and maintenance of sponge cells. The results obtained will be analyzed with a morphological and cytological focus and will serve as a basis for further work on in vitro culture of cells of these animals.(AU)