Growth characteristics of the intracellular pathogen, Piscirickettsia salmonis, in tissue culture and cell-free media.

Piscirickettsia salmonis is an intracellular bacterium that was first isolated and identified in fish cells. Several types of cell lines have been explored for their ability to provide the bacterium with a host cell to replicate in. Tissue culture has been used for growth and cultivation for nearly two decades, until the facultative nature of P. salmonis was confirmed upon the development of blood- and cysteine-based agar. Since then, research has continued to drive the creation of novel agar and broth formulations in order to improve the efficacy of cultivation of P. salmonis. Until now, the techniques and components used for growth have not been thoroughly discussed. In this review, the methods and formulations for growth of P. salmonis in tissue culture and cell-free media will be examined.