Juvenile hormone and juvenile hormone mimics inhibit proliferation in a lepidopteran imaginal disc cell line

The action of juvenile hormone (JH) and JH mimics have been examined in vit ro by utilizing the imaginal disc-derived cell line, IAL-PID2. We have disc overed that the cell line was responsive to JH and a variety of JH mimics:. The most consistent response obtained in our studies was inhibition of cel l proliferation, in the absence of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), which characte ristically reduces cell proliferation in its own right in this cell line. J H-I, JH-III, methoprene, fenoxycarb, and farnesol significantly inhibited c ell proliferation after 3 days of exposure of the cells in vitro to each of the compounds. Linoleic acid controls had no effect on proliferation in th e cultures. The cell proliferation assay demonstrates the JH responsiveness of this cell line, but the concentrations of JH required were high compare d to the concentrations of 20E needed for inhibition of proliferation in th ese cells. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.