MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF HONEYBEE ANTENNAL CELLS GROWING IN PRIMARY CULTURES

A culture technique for the in vitro growth of antennal cells from hon eybee is described. On the basis of morphological and immunocytochemic al criteria, the cultured cells could be classified into neural and no n-neural cells. Neural cells (type D) exhibited the main morphological features of insect olfactory receptor neurones (ORNs). Non-neural cel ls were large, flat cells that could be divided into three main types: Type A, B and C cells. Type A cells were spindle-like cells and resem bled insect myocytes in culture. Type B cells were large cells with a veil-like cytoplasm. These cells tended to group and vacuolate towards the center of the cellular aggregate. Type C cells were either bipola r (Type C1) or multipolar (Type C2) flat cells which closely resembled insect glial cells in cultures.