A Continuously Growing Cell Line from Larval Hemocytes of Malacosoma neustria testacea

Larval hemocytes of Malacosoma neustria testacea (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae) were cultured in MGM-450 medium added with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 3% Antheraea pernyi hemolymph. Out of thirty primary cultures set up, a continuous cell line was obtained, and designated as FRI-MntH-520A. Cells of this cell line could grow in MGM-450 medium fortified with 10% fetal bovine serum alone, and the population doubling time was 6.93 days. Spherical cells were predominant, but sometimes odd-shaped cells appeared. Karyotype of the cell line was typical of lepidopteran cell lines and consisted of numerous small chromosomes. The cell line could be discriminated from other lepidopteran cell lines by comparing the patterns of isozymes of several enzymes. M. neustria testacea nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) infected the cell line, whereas Autographa californica, Malacosoma distria, and Lambdina fiscellaria somniaria NPVs did not.