Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Handling and Treatment of Male European Eels Anguilla anguilla for Hormonal Maturation and Sperm Cryopreservation
Published on: January 28, 2018
Development and characterization of a new cell line derived from European eel Anguilla anguilla kidney
Bin Chen1, Zaiyu Zheng1, Jinxian Yang1
1Biotechnology Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, High-tech building 1506, Wusi Road 247, Fuzhou 350003, Fujian, China.
Abstract:
A new cell line derived from the kidney of European eel, Anguilla anguilla, has been established and characterized. This cell line, designated as EK (eel kidney), has been maintained in Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum for over 24 months, and subcultured more than 60 times. This cell line consists predominantly of fibroblast-like cells, and can grow at 15-37°C under an optimum temperature of 26°C. The origin of this cell line was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and 18s recombinant (r)RNA sequencing. The chromosome analysis of EK cells at passage 58 revealed an ananeuploid karyotype. The EK cells were successfully transfected with the Pegfp-N1 plasmid, suggesting its potential in genetic studies. The susceptibility test showed a significant cytopathic effect (CPE) in EK cells for Rana grylio virus, and the viral replication was evidenced with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. After poly (I:C) stimulation, the expression of the immune-related molecules including interferon regulatory factor-3 (irf3), interferon regulatory factor-7 (irf7) and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) were significantly upregulated in EK cells, while the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF-β) was downregulated. These results suggested the potential of EK cell line as a model in gene engineering, virus identification and environmental toxicology.
Related Concept Videos
Kidney Structure
Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation
External Anatomy of the Kidney
The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space on either side of the vertebral column, protected posteriorly by the 11th and 12th ribs. The right kidney sits slightly lower than the left owing to the presence of the liver...
Internal Anatomy of the Kidney
Anatomical Position and Dimensions
The kidneys are retroperitoneal organs positioned against the posterior abdominal wall on either side of the spine, roughly between the twelfth thoracic and third lumbar vertebrae. Each kidney is typically 10-12 cm long, 5-6 cm wide, and 3-4 cm thick, weighing about 150 grams.
Renal Cortex
The outermost region of the kidney is the...
Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
Sustainable Development

