title: Primary cell cultures isolated from Penaeus monodon prawns.
abstract: We have devised a cell culture system for Penaeus monodon prawn cells that uses a defined synthetic medium. Organs were removed from adult prawns ranging in size from 13--19cm rostrum-to-telson length. Cultures consisted of either a blend of hematopoietic and lymphoid cells or ovarian cells. The cells divide rapidly in culture, doubling on average once per week for 5 to 6 weeks. These cultures continue to survive for at least 5 months but the rates of cell division are low after the first 5--6 weeks. In the literature, unicellular eukaryotic marine organisms such as chytrids may contaminate marine cell cultures. In some cases these eukaryotic contaminants may be difficult to distinguish from prawn cells unless detailed ultrastructure or characteristic developmental stages such as zoospores can be observed. Alternatively, we prepared molecular probes from repeated DNA sequences 100--400 bp in length in the P. monodon genome. These species-specific probes were hybridised to genomic DNA from cell culture to confirm proliferation of P. monodon cells in our cultures.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Gehrmann Laboratories L4, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia. l.west@mailbox.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mahony
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hansford
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology*; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004247:DNA