Characterization of continuous cell lines derived from the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), is an important pest of citrus crops globally, particularly as the vector of a phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) that causes the fatal citrus disease Huanglongbing, or citrus greening. Cell lines from this insect can be used to study the basic biology of this pest as well as ACP-associated pathogens such as CLas. We previously identified an optimal medium (i.e. CLG#2) that supports the long-term growth of ACP primary cells. In this study, three ACP cell lines were passaged more than 40 times and were designated as Dici1, Dici3, and Dici5. Characterization of these cell lines revealed that Dici1 and Dic5, but not Dici3, are infected with Wolbachia and ACP-associated virus(es). These cell lines provide a platform for studying the relationship of various microbes, as well as their interactions with host cells. All three cell lines are now available for researchers world-wide.