Comparison of cell line maintenance procedures on insect cells used for producing baculoviruses

Summary A gypsy moth cell line, IPLB-LdEIta, maintained under various conditions was tested for susceptibility to and productivity of two baculoviruses, the Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and Lymantria dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV). The results suggest that cells maintained in serum-containing medium (modified TC100) were more susceptible (on the basis of titers in an endpoint assay) to LdMNPV than cells maintained in a serum-free medium (ExCell™ 400). Such a difference was not apparent with AcMNPV. Similarly, little difference existed in the proportion of cells containing occlusion bodies (OBs) a wk after inoculation with AcMNPV (i.e., the percent infected) in any LdEIta strains, although one combination of cells and medium (cells maintained in ExCell 400 but infected in TC100) showed a lower percent infection with LdMNPV. Even though the percentage of cells infected varied little, the number of OBs produced varied by 3 logs with AcMNPV and 11/2 logs with LdMNPV. In each case, cells normally grown in ExCell 400 and infected in the same medium produced the lowest number of OBs. However, productivity was improved when cells normally grown in ExCell 400 were infected in TC100. Even more interesting was that cells normally grown in TC100 produced more AcMNPV OBs when infected in ExCell 400 medium. This suggests that changing culture medium (regardless of the normal maintenance medium) can stimulate virus production. In addition to examining virus productivity in LdEIta cells in both serum-containing and serum-free media, I also tested a strain maintained at low temperature (17° C) for over a yr. This maintenance protocol was not detrimental for LdMNPV productivity and was slightly stimulatory for production of AcMNPV.