New cell lines from larval fat bodies of Spodoptera exigua: characterization and susceptibility to baculoviruses (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Two new cell lines, designated IOZCAS-Spex-II and IOZCAS-Spex-III, were initiated from the fat bodies of larvae of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in TNM-FH medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. The spherical cells were predominant among the various cell types and measures approximately 15 microm in diameter. The cell lines were mainly composed of tetraploid cells with chromosome numbers ranging from 116 to 131 (n=31). The cell lines were confirmed to have originated from the S. exigua by DAF-PCR technique. They were susceptible to the multiple nucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis viruses from S. exigua.