Development of cell line from the testicular tissues of crab Scylla serrata

This is the first report on development of a finite cell line from testicular tissues of crab, Scylla serrata. Both the explant and segregated tissues of testes yielded cells that could proliferate and grow. These cells ranged in size from 10 to 38 μm with distinct nuclei of varying shapes. The testicular cells survived and proliferated best in L-15-crab saline medium supplemented with epidermal growth factor (20 ng/mL) and glucose (1 mg/mL). The cell proliferation rate was assessed by Methyl tetrazolium assay in terms of change in optical density which clearly indicated a prominent increase in cell density. The testicular cells were subcultured at an interval of 4-6 days. These subcultured cells remained healthy and proliferated for 5 months with a minimum of ten subsequent passages. The finite cell line was characterized in terms of morphology, growth rate, lactate dehydrogenase release (for detecting health status) and 18S rRNA sequencing. This cell line could be a very useful tool for testing infections and replications of crustacean viruses. The present work provides a technique that could be extended for developing other crustacean cell lines.