Meeting Abstract
Most gastropod molluscs use their foot to locomote, despite differences in the substrate over which they crawl. Little, however, is known about the morphological and neural structures of the foot and how it promotes locomotion. The pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, is a freshwater gastropod that employs both muscular and ciliary waves during crawling. Here we investigated the morphological characteristics of L. stagnalis foot tissue as well as the distribution of neurotransmitters previously found to be involved in ciliary locomotory behavior. To determine the structure of the foot tissue we used histological methods to differentiate tissue and cell type distributions, including both muscles and mucus secreting cells. In addition, we used immunohistological techniques to determine the distribution of putative neuro-active molecules (5-HT, Dopamine, NO, GABA) in the foot tissue. Preliminary results showed both extensive subdermal musculature, and cells involved in mucus production. These findings, combined with the immunohistochemical labeling, will provide a better understanding of the control of crawling in gastropods.
