Replication of the entomopoxvirus from Amsacta moorei in serum-free cultures of a gypsy moth cell line.

Abstract The entomopoxvirus isolated from Amsacta moorei (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) replicated to the mature occluded stage during six serial passages in the serum-free cultured cells of a continuous cell line (IPLB-LD-652) from the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Replication of the virus in cells grown in serum-free RIL-14 (Table 1) medium was similar to replications of the same virus observed in the same and other susceptible cell lines in various serum-containing media. Virus developmental stages are described from cells grown in serum-free medium after virus passages two and six, and from cells in vivo from gypsy moth larval fat body infected by intrahemocoelic inoculation with extracellular virus from infected cultures of the same cell line.