A novel medium for the development of in vitro cell culture system from Penaeus monodon

Lack of a valid shrimp cell line has been hampering the progress of research on shrimp viruses. One of the reasons identified was the absence of an appropriate medium which would satisfy the requirements of the cells in vitro. We report the first attempt to formulate an exclusive shrimp cell culture medium (SCCM) based on the haemolymph components of Penaeus monodon prepared in isosmotic seawater having 27 ‰ salinity. The SCCM is composed of 22 amino acids, 4 sugars, 6 vitamins, cholesterol, FBS, phenol red, three antibiotics, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and di-sodium hydrogen phosphate at pH 6.8–7.2. Osmolality was adjusted to 720 ± 10 mOsm kg⁻¹ and temperature of incubation was 25 ºC. The most appropriate composition was finally selected based on the extent of attachment of cells and their proliferation by visual observation. Metabolic activity of cultured cells was measured by MTT assay and compared with that in L-15 (2×), modified L-15 and Grace’s insect medium, and found better performance in SCCM especially for lymphoid cells with 107 % increase in activity and 85 ± 9 days of longevity. The cells from ovary and lymphoid organs were passaged twice using the newly designed shrimp cell dissociation “cocktail”.     

Establishment of callus and cell suspension culture of Scrophularia striata Boiss.: an in vitro approach for acteoside production

In the present study, a protocol was optimized for establishment of callus and cell suspension culture of Scrophularia striata Boiss. as a strategy to obtain an in vitro acteoside producing cell line for the first time. The effects of growth regulators were analyzed to optimize the biomass growth and acteoside production. The stem explant of S. striata was optimum for callus induction. Modified Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid + 2.0 mg/l benzyl adenine was the most favorable medium for callus formation with the highest induction rate (100 %), the best callus growth and the highest acteoside content (1.6 μg/g fresh weight). Incompact and rapid growing suspension cells were established in the liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid + 2.0 mg/l benzyl adenine. The optimum time of subculture was found to 17–20 days. Acteoside content in the cell suspension was high during exponential growth phase and decreased subsequently at the stationary phase. The maximum content of acteoside (about 14.25 μg/g cell fresh weight) was observed on the 17th day of the cultivation cycle. This study provided an efficient way to further regulation of phenylethanoid glycoside biosynthesis and production of valuable acteoside, a phenylethanoid glycoside, on scale-up in S. striata cell suspension culture.     

Effects of clonal variation on growth, metabolism, and productivity in response to trophic factor stimulation: a study of Chinese hamster ovary cells producing a recombinant monoclonal antibody

The growth, metabolism, and productivity of five Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) clones were explored in response to stimulation with insulin (5 mg/L) and LONG^®R³IGF-I (20 μg/L or 100 μg/L). All five clones were derived from the same parental CHO cell line (DG44) and produced the same recombinant monoclonal antibody, with varying specific productivities. There was no uniform response among the clones to stimulation with the different trophic factors. One of the high productivity clones (clone D) exhibited significantly better growth in response to LONG^®R³IGF-I; whereas the other clones showed equivalent or slightly better growth in the presence of insulin. Three out of the five clones had higher specific productivities in the presence of insulin (although not statistically significant); one was invariant, and the final clone exhibited slightly higher specific productivity in the presence of LONG^®R³IGF-I. Total product titers exhibited moderate variation between culture conditions, again with neither trophic factor being clearly superior. Overall product titers were affected by variations in both integrated viable cell density and specific productivity. Nutrient uptake and metabolite generation patterns varied strongly between clones and much less with culture conditions. These results point to the need for careful clonal analysis when selecting clones, particularly for platform processes where media and culture conditions are predetermined.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10616-011-9388-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Characterization of growth and Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus production in attached cultures of the DSIR-HA-1179 coleopteran insect cell line

The DSIR-HA-1179 coleopteran cell line is a susceptible and permissive host to the Oryctesrhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV), which has been used as a biocontrol agent against the coconut rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros); a pest of palms in the Asia-Pacific region. However, little is known about growth and metabolism of this cell line, knowledge of which is necessary to develop an in vitro large-scale OrNV production process. The strong anchorage-dependent characteristics of the cell line, its particular fragility and its tendency to form dense clumps when manipulated, are the most likely reasons that have precluded further development of the cell line. In order to characterize DSIR-HA-1179 cells, there was first a need for a reliable technique to count the cells. A homogenous cell suspension suitable for enumeration could be produced by treatment with TrypLE Express™ with optimum mean time for cell release calculated as 30 min. The cell line was adapted to grow in four serum-supplemented culture media namely TC-100, IPL-41, Sf-900 II and Sf-900 III and cell growth, glucose consumption, lactate and ammonia production were assessed from static-batch cultures. The maximum viable cell density was reached in Sf-900 II (17.9 × 10⁵ cells/ml), with the maximum specific growth rate observed in this culture medium as well (0.0074 h⁻¹). Higher production of OrNV was observed in IPL-41 and TC-100 (4.1 × 10⁷ TCID₅₀/ml) than in cultures infected in Sf-900 III (2.0 × 10⁷ TCID₅₀/ml) and Sf-900 II (1.4 × 10⁷ TCID₅₀/ml). At the end of the growth period, glucose was completely consumed in cultures grown in TC-100, while remained in excess in the other three culture media. The cell line produced lactate and ammonia to very low levels in the TC-100 culture medium which is a promising aspect for its cultivation at large-scale.     

Activity of insulin growth factors and shrimp neurosecretory organ extracts on a lepidopteran cell line

Ecdysteroids, or molting hormones, have been proven to be key differentiation regulators for epidermal cells in the postembryonic development of arthropods. Regulators of cell proliferation, however, remain largely unknown. To date, no diffusible insect peptidic growth factors have been characterized. Molecules structurally related to insulin have been discovered in insects, as in other eucaryotes. We developed in vitro tests for the preliminary characterization of potential growth factors in arthropods by adapting the procedures designed to detect such factors in vertebrates to an insect cell line (IAL-PID2) established from imaginal discs of the Indian meal moth. We verified the ability of these tests to measure the proliferation of IAL-PID2 cells. We tested mammalian insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I, IGF-II). Following an arrest of cell proliferation by serum deprivation, IGF-I and IGF-II caused partial resumption of the cell cycle, evidenced by DNA synthesis. In contrast, the addition of 20-hydroxyecdysone arrested the proliferation of the IAL-PID2 cells. The cell line was then used in a test for functional characterization of potential growth factors originating from the penaeid shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. Crude extracts of neurosecretory and nervous tissues, eyestalks, and ventral neural chain compensated for serum deprivation and stimulated completion of mitosis. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 34:313–328, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Establishment of a leukocyte cell line derived from peritoneal macrophages of fish,Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822)

A continuous leukocyte cell line with phagocytic activity was established from peritoneal macrophages of rohu, Labeo rohita (LRPM). LRPM was initiated from adherent mononuclear leukocytes isolated from peritoneal cavity of rohu, without use of any growth factors or feeder cells. These cells exhibited maximum growth at 30 °C in L-15 medium containing 20 % foetal bovine serum, and has been subcultured for more than 60 passages till date. The cells showed 85 % viability after 6 months of storage in liquid nitrogen. The species of origin of the LRPM was confirmed by the amplification and sequencing of 655 bp fragment of cytochrome oxidase subunit I of mitochondrial DNA. Functionally, LRPM showed phagocytic activity of yeast cells and fluorescent latex beads as evaluated by phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Immuno-modulators such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide and phorbol myristate acetate resulted in functional activation of LRPM; and enhanced their microbicidal activity through release of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. Culture supernatant from activated cells also revealed lysozyme activity. Cells of LRPM were positive for alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase enzyme indicating macrophage lineage. Our results indicate that this cell line can be a useful in vitro tool to study the role of macrophages in teleost immune system and to evaluate the effects of new aquaculture drugs. The LRPM cell line represents the first reported leukocyte cell line of peritoneal origin from any freshwater species of fish.     

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) production and the presence of IGF-I receptors in rat medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line 6-23 (clone 6)

To clarify whether insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an autocrine growth factor of rat medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cell line, 6-23 (clone 6), IGF-I binding to MTC cell membranes, IGF-I levels in the conditioned culture medium of MTC cells and the effects of IGF-I on methyl-[3H]thymidine incorporation to MTC cells were examined. Scatchard analysis of saturation binding studies revealed the association constant and the maximal binding capacity were 1.0 x 10(9) M-1 and 199 fmol/mg of membrane protein, respectively. The binding of [125I]IGF-I to MTC cell membranes was inhibited by unlabeled IGF-I, IGF-II and insulin; the relative potencies were IGF-I greater than IGF-II much greater than insulin, suggesting the presence of type I IGF receptors in MTC cells. IGF-I levels in the conditioned culture medium of MTC cells were 120 +/- 3 pM (mean + SE). IGF-I (10(-10) to 10(-8) M) dose-dependently stimulated methyl-[3H]thymidine incorporation to MTC cells. These findings suggest a possible role of IGF-I as an autocrine growth factor for MTC cells.     

Insulin-like growth factors in sheep thyroid cells: action, receptors and production

Sheep thyroid cells cultured in serum-free medium were used to study the biologic activity, binding, and production of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). IGF-I, IGF-II, and insulin stimulated thyroid cell division. Abundant, specific IGF receptors on sheep thyroid cell membranes were identified by binding displacement studies. Maximal specific binding of [125I]-labeled IGF-I and IGF-II to 25 micrograms of membrane protein averaged 21% and 27% respectively. The presence of type I and type II IGF receptors was confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of [125I]IGFs covalently cross-linked to cell membranes. Under reducing conditions, [125I]IGF-I bound to a moiety of approximate Mr = 135,000 and [125I]IGF-II to a moiety of approximate Mr = 260,000. Cross-linking of [125I]IGF-I to medium conditioned by thyroid cells indicated the presence of four IGF binding proteins with apparent Mr = 34,000, 26,000, 19,000 and 14,000. Thyroid cells also secreted IGF-I and II into the medium. IGF synthesis was enhanced consistently by recombinant growth hormone. These data indicate that sheep thyroid cells are a site for IGF action, binding, and production and provide further evidence that IGFs may modulate thyroid gland growth in an autocrine or paracrine manner.     

Kinetic response of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis> cell line to different medium formulations and culture conditions

In the past few years, Drosophila melanogaster cells have been employed for recombinant protein production purposes, and a comprehensive knowledge of their metabolism is essential for process optimization. In this work, the kinetic response of a Schneider S2 cell line, grown in shake flasks, in two different culture media, the serum-free SF900-II^® and the serum-supplemented TC-100, was evaluated. Cell growth, amino acids and glucose uptake, and lactate synthesis were measured allowing the calculation of kinetic parameters. The results show that S2 cells metabolism was able to adjust to different environmental situations, as determined by medium formulation, as well as by the particular situation resulting from the culture conditions. Cells attained a 163% higher final cell concentration (1.4 × 10⁷ cells mL⁻¹) in SF900 II^® medium, when compared to serum-supplemented TC-100 medium. Also, a maximum specific cell growth rate 52% higher in SF900 II^® medium, when compared to serum-supplemented TC-100 one, was observed. Glutamine was the growth limiting factor in SF900 II^® medium, while glucose, sometimes associated with glutamine, controlled growth in serum-supplemented TC-100 medium based formulation. The different pattern of lactate production is an example of the versatility of the metabolism of these cells. This by-product was produced only in glutamine limitation, but the amount synthesized depended not only on the excess glucose, but on other medium components. Therefore, in serum-supplemented TC-100 medium a much smaller lactate amount was generated. Besides, glucose was identified not only as a growth limiting factor, but also as a viability limiting factor, since its depletion accelerated cell death.     

Comparative mitogenic and galactopoietic effects of IGF-I, IGF-II and Des-3-IGF-I in bovine mammary gland in vitro.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) I and II (IGF-I, IGF-II) and Des-3-IGF-I at physiological concentrations are potent mitogens of bovine undifferentiated mammary epithelial cells cultured in collagen in a serum-free medium. Des-3-IGF-I was found to be as potent as IGF-I, while IGF-II was significantly less active. All three factors acted either synergistically or additively with epidermal growth factor (EGF), cholera toxin and fetal calf serum (FCS). Indirect evidence indicates that despite its lower mitogenic activity the action of IGF-II is mediated through IGF-I receptors. The galactopoietic activity of Des-3-IGF-I and IGF-II was studied in an organ culture of bovine lactating mammary glands using lactogen-responsive fat synthesis as a test. Neither Des-3-IGF-I nor IGF-II exhibited galactopoietic activity nor did they affect the galactopoietic activity of prolactin.     

Stimulation of guanylate cyclase and RNA polymerase II activities in HeLa cells and fibroblasts by biotin

HeLa cells cultured in a biotin-deficient medium showed reduced rates of protein synthesis, DNA synthesis and growth. Continuous synthesis is required for the increase in DNA synthesis observed upon addition of biotin to cells cultured in biotin-deficient medium. The addition of biotin to the biotin-deficient culture medium increased the activity of guanylate cyclase in both HeLa cells and fibroblasts. Both cell types cultured in biotin deficient medium showed reduced activity of RNA Polymerase II. The exogenous addition of biotin to the biotin-deficient cell cultures also resulted in increased activity of RNA Polymerase II in HeLa cells and fibroblasts. The maximal response was observed in 4 hours. Significant increase in enzyme activity was observed at 10^–8 M biotin in the culture medium. The growth promoting effect of biotin seems to involve stimulations of cellular guanylate cyclase and RNA Polymerase II activity.     

Insulin-like growth factor II binding and action in human fetal fibroblasts

To investigate the role of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in human prenatal growth, IGF-II binding and biological action were studied in four lines of fetal and three lines of postnatal human fibroblasts. Specific binding of IGF-II was similar in both groups: 15.7% and 14.9% for fetal and postnatal fibroblasts, respectively. This was 5-10 times the amount of IGF-I binding found in these cells. IGF-I and IGF-II caused dose-dependent increases in [14C]aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) uptake. IGF-II was sevenfold less potent than IGF-I in stimulating this metabolic response in both fetal and postnatal fibroblasts. The maximal effect of IGF-II in stimulating [14C]AIB uptake approach that of IGF-I. Similar results were obtained when IGF-I and IGF-II stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation was compared in fetal and postnatal fibroblasts. Incubation in the presence of alpha IR-3, a monoclonal antibody to the type I IGF receptor, inhibited the ability of both IGF-I and IGF-II to stimulate [14C]AIB uptake and [3H]thymidine incorporation in fetal and postnatal cells. A monoclonal antibody to the insulin receptor did not affect IGF action. These data indicate that IGF-II is a potent metabolic and mitogenic stimulus for human fetal fibroblasts. However, despite the presence of abundant type II IGF receptors on both fetal and postnatal human fibroblasts, IGF-II stimulation of amino acid transport and DNA synthesis appears to be mediated through the type I rather than through its own type II IGF receptor.     

Modulation of the mitogenic response of an epidermal growth factor-dependent keratinocyte cell line by dexamethasone, insulin, and transforming growth factor-beta

The stimulation of DNA synthesis by epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been studied for a cell line having properties useful for investigating the mechanism of action of EGF in epithelial cell populations. These studies employ a mouse keratinocyte cell line (MK), isolated by Weissman and Aaronson (1983), which is stringently dependent on exogenous EGF for growth in serum containing medium. The studies reported here characterize the compliment of EGR receptors present on the surface of MK cells and demonstrate the regulatory influence of other hormones on the capacity of EGF to stimulate DNA synthesis. Up-regulated MK cells contain approximately 22,000 EGF receptors per cell, but when the cells are grown in the presence of EGF the receptor number is reduced to about 4,000. It is estimated that only a small number of high-affinity receptors (less than 500) are required for EGF-dependent cell proliferation. In contrast to its action in fibroblastic cells, dexamethasone is a strong inhibitor of EGF-stimulated DNA synthesis of MK cells. Insulin at high concentrations, or insulin-like growth factors I or II (IGF-I, IGF-II) at physiological concentrations, synergistically enhance the EGF response. Interestingly, insulin or IGF-I or II are also able to reverse most of the dexamethasone inhibition of DNA synthesis. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) inhibits, in reversible manner, the EGF stimulation of DNA synthesis and this inhibition is not overcome by insulin. TGF-beta receptors have been measured in MK cells and Scatchard analysis indicates approximately 20,000 receptors per cell. None of the modulatory hormones (insulin, dexamethasone, TGF-beta) significantly altered 125I-EGF binding characteristics in MK cells, suggesting a point of action distal to 125I-EGF binding.     

Serum-free organ culture of suckling rat jejunum: Effect of regulatory hormones

Summary To facilitate the study of regulators of differentiation and proliferation of small intestinal epithelium in the suckling rat we have developed a serum-free organ culture system and used it to examine epithelial responsiveness to various regulatory hormones. These hormones included the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) whose action can be blocked by binding proteins in serum. Jejunal explants from 5-day-old suckling rats maintained better brush border enzyme activity and better histology when cultured under hyperbaric conditions for 24 h in serum-free Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium/F12 medium than in RPMI 1640 plus 10% fetal bovine serum. Tissue responsiveness to various regulatory hormones was then tested in the serum-free medium. Insulin had no significant effect on morphology, proliferation rate, or enzyme activity in 5-day explants after 24 h in culture. However, insulin did increase lactase activity and induce the early appearance of sucrase in 10- and 12-day explants after 48 h culture. Dexamethasone increased specific activities of alkaline phosphatase (30%,P<0.001) and lactase (15%,P<0.001), and reduced shedding of alkaline phosphatase into the medium (P<0.001), in explants of 5-day-old rats cultured over 24 h. Dexamethasone combined with insulin had no obvious effect on the rate of protein or DNA synthesis but did increase villus height (P=0.04) and crypt depth (P=0.001) and acted synergistically to further increase lactase activity above levels obtained by either alone. IGF-I and IGF-II, des-(1–3)IGF-I, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and growth hormone (GH) had no effect on morphology or biochemical activity of explants after 24 or 48 h culture. In conclusion, histology, enzyme activity, protein, and DNA synthesis of suckling rat jejunal explants were equivalent or better in serum-free than in serum-containing organ culture systems. Furthermore, biological responsiveness was demonstrated by dexamethasone and insulin altering the explants morphologically or biochemically. None of the IGFs or GH had any biological effects, raising doubts about their direct biological action on the developing intestinal epithelium.     

Stimulation of myenteric plexus neurite outgrowth by insulin and insulin-like growth factors I and II.

A defined culture medium containing insulin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) or insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) supported morphological development of myenteric plexus neurons derived from neonatal guinea pigs. Insulin increased neurite outgrowth 3-fold at concentrations as low as 0.2 nM. Similar significant and dose-dependent increases in neurite outgrowth were noted with IGF-I and IGF-II. Stimulation of neurite outgrowth was abolished by exposure to cytosine arabinofuranoside, an agent toxic to non-neuronal cells, implying that trophic effects of insulin or insulin-like growth factors require the presence of non-neuronal elements in culture.     

Effect of agitation speed on the morphology of Aspergillus niger HFD5A-1 hyphae and its pectinase production in submerged fermentation

AIM: To investigate the impact of agitation speed on pectinase production and morphological changing of Aspergillus niger(A. niger) HFD5A-1 in submerged fermentation. METHODS: A. niger HFM5A-1 was isolated from a rotted pomelo. The inoculum preparation was performed by adding 5.0 m L of sterile distilled water containing 0.1% Tween 80 to a sporulated culture. Cultivation was carried out with inoculated 1 × 107 spores/m L suspension and incubated at 30 ℃ with different agitation speed for 6 d. The samples were withdrawn after 6 d cultivation time and were assayed for pectinase activity and fungal growth determination. The culture broth was filtered through filter paper(Whatman No. 1, London) to separate the fungal mycelium. The cell-free culture filtrate containing the crude enzyme was then assayed for pectinase activity. The biomass was dried at 80 ℃ until constant weight. The fungal cell dry weight was then expressed as g/L. The 6 d old fungal mycelia were harvested from various agitation speed, 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 rpm. The morphological changing of samples was then viewed under the light microscope and scanning electron microscope.RESULTS: In the present study, agitation speed was found to influence pectinase production in a batch cultivation system. However, higher agitation speeds than the optimal speed(150 rpm) reduced pectinase production which due to shear forces and also collision among the suspended fungal cells in the cultivation medium. Enzyme activity increased with the increasing of agitation speed up to 150 rpm, where it achieved its maximal pectinase activity of 1.559 U/m L. There were significant different(Duncan, P 0.05) of the pectinase production with the agitation speed at static, 50, 100, 200 and 250 rpm. At the static condition, a well growth mycelial mat was observed on the surface of the cultivation medium and sporulation occurred all over the fungal mycelial mat. However with the increased in agitation speed, the mycelial mat turned slowly to become a single circular pellet. Thus, it was found that agitation speed affected the morphological characteristics of the fungal hyphae/mycelia of A. niger HFD5A-1 by altering their external as well as internal cell structures.CONCLUSION: Exposure to higher shear stress with an increasing agitation speed could result in lower biomass yields as well as pectinase production by A. niger HFD5A-1.     

Expression and characterization of a functional human insulin-like growth factor I receptor

Stable transfectants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were developed that expressed the protein encoded by a human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptor cDNA. The transfected cells expressed approximately 25,000 high affinity receptors for IGF-I (apparent Kd of 1.5 X 10(-9) M), whereas the parental CHO cells expressed only 5,000 receptors per cell (apparent Kd of 1.3 X 10(-9) M). A monoclonal antibody specific for the human IGF-I receptor inhibited IGF-I binding to the expressed receptor and immunoprecipitated polypeptides of apparent Mr values approximately 135,000 and 95,000 from metabolically labeled lysates of the transfected cells but not control cells. The expressed receptor was also capable of binding IGF-II with high affinity (Kd approximately 3 nM) and weakly recognized insulin (with about 1% the potency of IGF-I). The human IGF-I receptor expressed in these cells was capable of IGF-I-stimulated autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of endogenous substrates in the intact cell. This receptor also mediated IGF-I-stimulated glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, and DNA synthesis. The extent of these responses was comparable to the stimulation by insulin of the same biological responses in CHO cells expressing the human insulin receptor. These results indicate that the isolated cDNA encodes a functional IGF-I receptor and that there are no inherent differences in the abilities of the insulin and IGF-I receptors to mediate rapid and long term biological responses when expressed in the same cell type. The high affinity of this receptor for IGF-II also suggests that it may be important in mediating biological responses to IGF-II as well as IGF-I.