The use of insect cell lines as production hosts is an emerging technology for the production of bio pharmaceuticals. There are currently more than 100 insect cell lines available for recombinant protein production with lines derived from ''
Bombyx mori
The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family (biology), family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is a ...
'', ''
Mamestra brassicae
The cabbage moth (''Mamestra brassicae'') is primarily known as a pest that is responsible for severe crop damage of a wide variety of plant species. The common name, cabbage moth, is a misnomer as the species feeds on many fruits, vegetables, ...
'', ''
Spodoptera frugiperda'', ''
Trichoplusia ni'', and ''
Drosophila melanogaster
''Drosophila melanogaster'' is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is often referred to as the fruit fly or lesser fruit fly, or less commonly the " vinegar fly" or " pomace fly". Starting with ...
'' being of particular interest. Insects cell lines are commonly used in place of
prokaryotic
A prokaryote () is a single-celled organism that lacks a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. The word ''prokaryote'' comes from the Greek πρό (, 'before') and κάρυον (, 'nut' or 'kernel').Campbell, N. "Biology:Concepts & Connec ...
ones because post-translational modifications of proteins are possible in insect cells whereas this mechanism is not present in prokaryotic systems. The
Sf9 cell line is one of the most commonly used lines in insect cell culture.
References and notes
Cell culture techniques
Biopharmaceuticals
{{Pharmacy-stub