Immunoreactivities for calcium signaling components and neural-like properties of a Colorado potato beetle cell line.

Of the approximately 400 described insect cell lines, only three are derived from beetles (Coleoptera), and none are neural in origin. The present work was undertaken to characterize further a new cell line, designated IPLB-CPB2, derived from eggs of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decimlineata. Indirect immunofluorescent studies reported here indicate that these cells express neurofilament (Nf)-like immunoreactivities to antibodies directed against mammalian Nf-Medium (MW 150,000) and a heavily phosphorylated form of Nf-Heavy (MW 200,000; detected using the axonal monoclonal antibody SMI 31). This appears to be the first report of neurofilament-like immunoreactivity in an arthropod. Immunofluorescent analyses also indicate that IPLB-CPB2 cells express an antigenic epitope characteristic of the mammalian type 1 inositol trisphosphate (IP3) receptor, the ryanodine receptor (RyR) (also termed calcium-induced calcium release receptor channel, or CICR) and the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump (SERCA). Patch-clamp recordings indicate that some IPLB-CPB2 cells are capable of producing spontaneous action potentials, while others may be photosensitive. Taken together, the findings reported here suggest that IPLB-CPB2 cells are of neural origin and that they express the major receptor channels and pumps known to be localized in the ER of the cell, which are required for receptor-mediated calcium signaling. Thus, the IPLB-CPB2 cell line may prove to be an excellent model system for studies of insect neurobiology and calcium-based signal transduction.