In vitro culture of embryonic cells from freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Abstract

Studies were carried out to develop cell line cultures from embryonic tissue of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Good yields of dissociated, uncontaminated, viable cell suspensions were obtained by physical disruption of harvested eggs in the presence of buffered iodophore disinfectant and malachite green. Primary cultures in the form of proliferating foci of cells were readily initiated using a wide range of mammalian and insect cell culture media with osmolality adjusted to 450 mOsmol kg−1 H2O and the addition of 20% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum. Passage of primary cultures resulted in the loss of adherence of cells to the culture vessel surface, cessation of cell multiplication and consequent failure to establish a cell line