Insect cell lines
Insect-derived cell lines are valuable tools for the study of interactions between microbes and host cells. In addition to lines established from vectors of medical importance (see University of Liverpool Tick Cell BioBank), more than 700 insect cell lines have been reported for agricultural pests (see University of Kentucky insect cell line database). However, many are no longer available. Importantly, there are no cell lines available for key hemipteran pests like whitefly and stink bug. To fill this gap, Dr. Ke Wu led a successful effort to generate continuous cell lines from the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri. This work opens new doors for work with D. citri.
Related publications
Wu, K., Vu, E., Ghosh, S., Mishra, R., Bonning, B.C. 2025. Continuous cell lines derived from the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Liviidae; Hemiptera) harbor viruses and Wolbachia. Sci Reports doi. 10.1038/s41598-024-83671-2
Wu, K., Ortgiesen*, G.J., Goodman, C.L. Bonning, B.C. 2023. Optimized conditions for the long-term growth of primary cell cultures derived from the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Liviidae: Hemiptera). In Vitro Cell Dev Biol – Animal 59 (4): 235-240. doi 10.1007/s11626-023-00765-3