INFECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NOSEMA-MESNILI NM-HC-A8801 (MICROSPORIDA, PROTOZOA) IN LEPIDOPTERAN CELL-LINE

Spores of Nosema mesnili NM-HC-A8801 primed with 0.1-N KOH solution we re inoculated in Antheraea eucalypti cell cultures at a ratio of 30 sp ores per cell. The inoculated insect cells were cultured at 27 degrees C in GRACE's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. At 1 h post-inoculation, the percentage of hatched spores was approximately 2 0%, and about 5% of A. eucalypti cells were infected initially with sp oroplasms. At 96 h post-inoculation, many-coiled mature spores were pr oduced and an infected A. eucalypti cell contained about 40 protozoans . A rapid increase in cell infection rates was observed and the percen tage of infected cells reached 90% 120 h post-inoculation. In the life cycle. N. mesnili NM-HC-A8801 was diplokaryotic and showed disporous development which are typical of the genus Nosema. However, the spread of infection and spore production were markedly different from N. bom bycis and Nosema sp. NIS M11.