Establishment of an agamid cell line and isolation of adenoviruses from central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)

Publication Type

Journal contribution (peer reviewed)

Authors

Ball I, Hoferer M, Marschang RE

Year of publication

2014

Published in

J Vet Diagn Invest

DOI

10.1177/1040638714523615

<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #000000; font-size: small;">A cell line was established from whole 6-8-week-old central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) embryos. Cells were mid-sized and showed an elongated and polymorphic form. The cell line grew in a monolayer and has been serially passaged for 17 passages at time of publication. This cell line has been used with samples from adenovirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive bearded dragons, and 2 virus isolates have been obtained so far. The isolates show a clear cytopathic effect in inoculated cells. Both virus isolates have been serially passaged on this cell line, and have been identified by PCR amplification and sequencing of a portion of the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase gene and show 100% nucleotide identity to the corresponding region of an agamid adenovirus. Electron microscopic examination of supernatant from infected cells demonstrated the presence of nonenveloped particles, with a diameter of approximately 80 nm in both virus isolates.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></p>