ARS | Publication request: New Cell Lines from Ephestia Kuehniella: Characterization and Susceptibility to Baculoviruses

Submitted to: Journal Of Insect Science
Publication Acceptance Date: February 29, 2004
Publication Date: March 29, 2004
Citation: Lynn, D.E., Ferkovich, S.M. 2004. New Cell Lines From Ephestia Kuehniella: Characterization And Susceptibility To Baculoviruses. Journal Of Insect Science. 4(9):5pp.

Interpretive Summary: Insects, such as the Mediterreanean flour moth, are serious pests of milled and unmilled grains in storage. While chemical pesticides can effectively control them, these can be hazardous to the consumers of these materials. Biological controls can be effective alternatives and are generally safer but are also more expensive and difficult to produce. Previous studies have shown that the insidious flower bug is a common predator that can be used for biological control but is also expensive since its standard production method requires eggs of the flour moth. We have previously shown that an artificial diet for these insects is better if it contains insect cells but none were previously available from the flour moth. In this study, we have established two new cell lines from the Mediterreanean flour moth. We have also shown that they are susceptible to various insect viruses which are also potential biological control agents. Researchers, at universities, government and commercial laboratories that are involved in developing these viruses or the predatory bugs as alternatives to chemical pesticides can use these cell lines for the development of these and other biological pest controls.

Technical Abstract: New cell lines from embryos of Ephestia kuehniella were recently developed. Primary cultures were initiated in September 2002 from 2 to 4 day old eggs in either modified TC-100 or ExCell 400 medium. From these initial cultures, one originally isolated in the Ex-Cell medium produced sufficient cell growth to allow subcultivation and eventually led to the establishment of two cell strains, one that forms multicellular vesicles in suspension and one consisting of tightly attached epithelial-like cells. The strains were compared to an extract from E. kuehniella eggs by isozyme analysis and shown to be from the same species. Both strains were inoculated with various insect viruses, including nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) from Autographa californica, Anagrapha falcifera, Anticarsa gemmatalis, Galleria mellonella, Heliothis armigera, Helicoverpa zea, Heliothis virescens, Lymantria dispar, Plutella xylostella, and Rachoplusia ou. Both strains were highly susceptible to most of the NPVs (exceptions being the viruses from Helicoverpa zea and Lymantria dispar which did not show cytopathology to either cell strain) with large numbers of occlusion bodies produced in most of the inoculated cells. Our results suggest these new lines can be useful in biocontrol research.