Cultivation of Insect Tissues In Vitro and Their Application to the Study of Arthropod-Borne Viruses

Abstract

Summary The imaginal discs of fourth instar mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti) and the male and female gonads of diapausing Cynthia pupae were cultivated in vitro. Mosquito larval tissues cultivated in a basic medium, designed for insect tissue culture, yielded a very low percentage of cultures with primary outgrowth. The incorporation into this medium of 10% chick embryo extract increased considerably the number of positive cultures. The incorporation into the medium of extracts from homologous insects had no beneficial effect on growth of tissues from either insect. The cells from the imaginal discs of mosquito larvae supported the proliferation of West Nile virus, whereas the cells from the Cynthia gonads did not.