Insect cells: adventitious agents.

The varied associations between insects and micro-organisms provides ample opportunity for the contamination of insect cell cultures. As with cell cultures from vertebrates, the addition of serum or serum products into cell culture media risks the introduction of mycoplasma and bovine viruses into cell cultures. Rarely do these organisms persist or multiply in insect cultures; however, there have been reports of the growth of Acholeplasmas introduced with fetal bovine serum. The contamination of cultures with plant or mammalian pathogens that are transmitted by insects is more common. The micro-organisms that are associated with insects, either as pathogens or commensals, frequently contaminate primary cell cultures and may also contaminate cell lines.