Rewat Khongpradit, Kidchakan Supamattaya, Jiraporn Kasornchandra, and Wutiporn Phromkunthong

pp. 29 - 39

Abstract

Primary cell culture from caudal fin and kidney of seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch) using tissue explant method were cultured in three different medias with various salt concentrations. Only seabass kidney
(SK) cells grew well in Leibovitze's-15 medium containing 8 g/l of NaCl supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine
serum at an optimum temperature of 25 ^oC. Over a period of 24 months, SK cells were subcultured over than
75 passages and exhibited epithelial-like cells. The chromosome number of SK cells was 42. The cells were
found to be free from bacterial, fungal and mycoplasma contamination. Seabass cells can be kept at -80 ^oC and/or in liquid nitrogen (-196 ^oC) for at least 24 months with a survival rate of 83.20 and 74.50 %, respectively. Nine fish viruses were tested for their infectivity and this SK cells were susceptible to sand goby
virus (SGV), chub reovirus (CRV), snake-head rhabdovirus (SHRV), red seabream iridovirus (RSIV),
seabass iridovirus (SIV) and grouper iridovirus-2 (GIV-2).