A4 - Insect Cell Culture Approaches in Cultivating Spiroplasmas

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of insect cell culture approaches in cultivating spiroplasmas. Mammalian cell lines have been used to isolate spiroplasmas and as model systems for studying pathogenic effects of spiroplasmas on eukaryotic cells. Similarly, invertebrate cell lines have been employed for studies of spiroplasma pathogenicity, and, of importance to insect pathologists, insect cell lines have been used to coculture previously unculturable spiroplasmas including the Colorado potato beetle spiroplasma (CPBS) and the sex ratio organism (SRO), a transovarially transmitted spiroplasma that causes loss of male progeny in infected females. Ueda and colleagues grew SROs in organ cultures of Drosophila embryos, and Williamson et al. obtained primary isolates of SROs in coculture with the yeast Rhodotorula rubra. For cell culture, three basic media formulations exist: those for Lepidoptera, generally based on Grace's medium; for Diptera, with Schneider's Drosophila medium, and for Homoptera that often have very simple compositions.