The Aedes aegypti cell line CCL-125 is dengue virus permissive

While the majority of dengue infections worldwide are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the majority of research into the interaction between dengue and insect cells is undertaken in the Aedes albopictus derived cell line C6/36. The CCL-125 cell line is a long established A. aegypti derived cell line that was originally characterized as not susceptible to infection by the dengue virus. The present study establishes that CCL-125 is permissive to dengue virus infection and is able to be infected productively as determined by both plaque assay and immunocytochemistry. Infection occurred without observable cytopathic effect. This study demonstrates the utility of the A. aegypti derived cell line CCL-125 as a dengue permissive cell line and suggests that it may be a useful alternative to C6/36 cells in dissecting out the dengue virus–insect cell interaction.