ABSTRACT
Invertebrates represent the most numerous animals in terms of species and individuals. For terrestrial invertebrates, gene transfer technologies have been developed and are routinely used only for Drosophila fruit flies and for a nematod, Caenorhabditis elegans. For all the other terrestrial invertebrates groups, gene transfer technology is speculative until the identification of efficient transformation systems. Gene transfer technology is presently studied in a number of marine invertebrates with very different prospects according to the group. For sea urchins, investigations concern essentially embryogenesis and molecular biology of development. Because of this specific fundamental orientation, current gene transfer technology appears sufficiently controlled. In the nineties, genetic transformation of molluscs and shrimps began to be explored. Concerning gene transfer technology for bivalves and shrimps, the main objective is to produce transgenic strains that resist to pathogen through the expression of immune genes, viral genes or viral antisense sequences.
