Molecular and Cellular Biological Studies for Deep-sea Multicellular Organisms under Atmospheric Pressure Condition

Abstract

Establishment of tissue cultures derived from deep-sea multicellular organisms has been extremely difficult, because of serious damage they sustain upon decompression and exposure to high temperature of surface seawater. We developed a novel pressure-stat aquarium system and a novel pressure chamber control system for the study of living deep-sea multicellular organisms and derived cells under the pressure. Using these devices, we successfully cultivated and freeze-stocked fin cells of deep-sea eel Simenchelys parasiticus collected at 1162m under atmospheric pressure condition.