Studies on characterization of mosquito cell lines

Results of studies on characterization of mosquito cell lines are described; these include chromosome analysis, image cytometric, and flow cytometric estimation of DNA, tumorogenicity and angiogenicity, concanavalin-A-induced agglutination, and proton spin-lattice relaxation time (T1). The established mosquito cell lines are not diploid lines, although their stem-lines are diploid. Feulgen cytometry and flow cytometry reveal the inherent heterogeneity in DNA contents and support the observations on chromosome frequency distribution. Two cell lines exhibit angiogenic property and cell infiltration in chorio-allantoic membrane of chick embryos; however, none of the cell lines tested by inoculating hamsters, mice, or adult mosquitoes exhibit tumorogenicity. The agglutinability patterns of these cells in response to concanavalin-A treatment reveal the coexistence of agglutinable and unagglutinable cells. The mosquito cells differ from mammalian and chick cells in respect of their proton spin-lattice relaxation time.