Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #111235
Title: DEVELOPMENT OF A CONTINUOUS WHITEFLY CELL LINE (HOMOPTERA ALEYRODIDAE: BEMISIA TABACI (GENNADIUS))

Author
item Hunter, Wayne
item POLSTON, JANE - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/29/2000
Publication Date: 11/8/2000
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is a widely distributed pest of many important food and fiber crops. It is also a vector of more than 70 plant viruses from six families. A cell line was established in vitro using embryonic tissues from the eggs of Bemisia tabaci. The Hunter-Polston whitefly cell culture has been deposited in the permanent collection of the American Type Culture Collection (accession number CRL-12420) for use by the research community. This is the first continuous cell line established from a species of whitefly and increases the limited number of cell lines within the Homoptera now available for research. Insect cell culture research has been a valuable resource in studies on insect biology, cell physiology, virus infection and replication, and for the discovery of new insect pathogens which may be used in pest control programs.

Technical Abstract: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is a widely distributed pest of many important food and fiber crops. It is also a vector of more than 70 plant viruses from six families. A cell line was established in vitro using embryonic tissues from the eggs of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), B-biotype, (pseudonym B. argentifolii Bellows & Perring) and referred to as `Bt-b(Ba)97, Hunter-Polston'. Tissues were seeded into Kimura's modified medium and kept at a temperature of 24 deg C. Cells in primary culture were maintained by replacing with fresh medium at 10 d intervals for 6 mo. Half the medium in these expanded cultures were changed every 7 to 10 d. Continuous cell cultures were established and have since undergone 92 passages in 25 cm*2 flasks. The Bt-b(Ba)97-Hunter-Polston cultured cells have been successfully stored at -80 deg C in Kimura's modified medium supplemented with 20% DMSO, and successfully revived after 1 year. Cell doubling time at 24 deg C is approximately 3 d and cells are subcultured at 10 d intervals, at a 1:2 split ratio. The cell population in monolayers is predominately fibroblast with some epithelial cells scattered among fibroblasts. The Bt-b(Ba)97, Hunter-Polston culture has been deposited in the permanent collection of the American Type Culture Collection (accession number CRL-12420). This is the first continuous cell line established from a species of whitefly and increases the limited number of cell lines within the Homoptera now available for research.