Fish Cell Culture: Characteristics of a Continuous Fibroblastic Cell Line from Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum)

A cell line (WC-1) was initiated from a dermal tumor from walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum). The fibroblastic cells were propagated in Eagle's minimum essential medium, supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, as monolayer cultures that exhibited only slight density-dependent inhibition of mitosis. Cells, which were characterized at passage levels 45–46, grew optimally at 20 to 25 °C, but growth was limited at 10 and 30 °C. The line has a chromosome modal number of 48 or 49. Zymograms for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) of WC-1 cells and of normal walleye tissue were very similar, indicating that the WC-1 line may be distinguished by these isozymes. Cell cultures supported replication (with resulting cytopathology) of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV, strain VR 299) and the amphibian icosahedral cytoplasmic deoxyribovirus LT-1. The WC-1 line which has now been subcultured more than 100 times can properly be regarded as a continuous cell line.Key words: poikilotherm vertebrate cell line, fish virus, amphibian virus, neoplasm, walleye dermal sarcoma, lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, isozyme