Establishment and characterization of a new continuous cell line from Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera : Psychodidae) and its susceptibility to infections with arboviruses and Leishmania chagasi

Embryonic tissue explants of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Nei va 1912) the main vector of Leishmania chagasi (Cunha and Chagas), were use d to obtain a continuous cell line (Lulo). The tissues were seeded in MM/VP 12 medium ann these were incubated at 28 degrees C. The first subculture wa s obtained 45 days after explanting and 96 passages have been made to date. Lulo is composed of epithelioid cells, showed a 0.04 generations/hour expo nential growth rate and population doubling time at 24.7 k. The cell line i soenzymatic profiles were determined by using PGI, PGM, MPI and 6-PGDH syst ems, coinciding with patterns obtained from the same species and colony's p upae and adults. The species karyotype characteristics were recognized (2n = 8), in which pair 1 is subtelocentric and pairs 2, 3 and 4 are metacentri c. Lulo was free from bacterial, fungal, mycoplasmic and viral infection. S usceptibility to five arbovirus was determined, the same as Lulo interactio n with Leishmania promastigotes.