Next-generation cell lines established from the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Abstract

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf), is a polyphagous lepidopteran herbivore that consumes more than 80 plant species, including many economically important crops, such as corn, soybeans, and sorghum. While already a serious pest in the Americas, it was recently introduced into Africa, India, and China. Because of its high economic costs in the New World and the continent-wide damage potentials in Africa, research to develop advanced pest management technologies is necessary. We are supporting this need by developing novel, next-generation insect cell lines from targeted tissues. Cell lines, such as these, will boost insecticide discovery programs and lead to innovative pest management solutions. Here, we report on the establishment of 16 new cell lines from larval S. frugiperda tissues: nine from the central nervous system, three from the aorta, and four from the testes. We confirmed the identities of the cell lines by DNA amplification fingerprinting polymerase chain reaction, determined their doubling times from growth curves, and described cell types via microscopy. We also developed 16 sublines from three neuronal cell lines.