Growth and maintenance of mosquito cell lines

Mosquito cells (Aedes albopictus) are among the most common insect cells emerging as new sources of cell cultures to use in basic research and in the pharmaceutical industry. They adapt well to growth in suspension; can be used in bioreactors for the production of expressed proteins, virus, and virus-like particles; can be used in studies requiring lower growth temperatures than mammalian cells (28 degrees C or below); and (because they are cholesterol auxotrophs) can be adapted to grow in dilipidated or serum-free medium for experiments requiring these conditions. Procedures applicable to the laboratory maintenance of mosquito cell lines are described.