Cell cycle parameters inAedes albopictus mosquito cells

Summary We have analyzed cell cycle parameters for theAedes albopictus C7-10 mosquito cell line, which has been systematically developed for somatic cell genetics, expression of transfected genes, and synthesis of hormone-inducible proteins. In rapidly cycling cells, we measured a generation time of 10–12 h. The duration of mitosis (M) was ≤1 h, and the DNA synthesis phase (S) required 6 h. UnlikeDrosophila melanogaster Kc cells, in which the G2 gap is substantially longer than G1, in C7-10 cells G1 and G2 each lasted approximately 2h. In these cells, the duration of both S and G2 was independent of the population doubling time, and the increase in population doubling time as cells approached confluency was due to prolongation of G1. When treated with the insect steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, C7-10 mosquito cells complete the cycle in progress before undergoing a reversible arrest.