AEGY-28 Cell Line of Aedes aegypti (Diptera Culicidae) is Infection Refractory to Dengue 2 and Yellow Fever Virus

• Published in: Acta biológica colombiana 2007-07, Vol.12 (2), p.47-57
• Main Authors: Nadia Y. Castañeda, Jaime E. Castellanos, Angela C. Zapata, Felio Bello
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arbovirus; Fiebre Amarilla; Flavivirus; Infección; Línea Celular; Virus Dengue
• ISSN: 0120-548X; 1900-1649

Mosquito cell derived cultures are useful tools for arbovirus isolation, identification or characterization. For studying dengue (DENV) and yellow fever viruses (YFV) Aedes albopictus C6/36 or Aedes pseudoscutellaris AP-61 cell lines, are normally used. The Aedes aegypti AEGY-28 cell line was obtained from embryonic tissues and characterized previously by one of us. In order to evaluate its susceptibility to two Flavivirus, AEGY- 28 cells were inoculated with different multiplicity of infection (MOI) with type 2 DENV (COL-789, MOI: 1 and 5) and YFV clinical isolates (V-341, MOI 0,02) then processed at different times post infection (p.i.). Immunostai ning and fluorometric cell-ELISA were carried out to identify and quantify viral antigens. C6/36 and Vero cells were used as positive controls. Unexpectedly, immunoreactivity was not found in inoculated AEGY-28 cells, even in higher MOI or late times p.i., therefore antigen quantification using fluorometric cell-ELISA were not  plausible. Reverse transcriptase PCR with specific primers did not detect viral RNA in AEGY-28 inoculated cells. We can conclude that Aedes aegypti AEGY-28 cell line is not susceptible to dengue and yellow fever Flavivirus, a finding possibly related with the lacking of specific molecules at the plasma membrane or absence of cell machinery necessary for viral replication.