A method for obtaining primary cultures of epithelial cells from rainbow trout gills is described. The yield of cells from approximately 1.5 g wet mass of tissue was 218×106+/−12×106 cells with a viability defined by eosin exclusion of 80+/−6 %. Cells were seeded in culture dishes and grown in Leibowitz L-15 medium supplemented with 5 % foetal bovine serum. Attachment efficiency after 24 h was 35+/−6 %. The cells appeared confluent 10–12 days after seeding and exhibited surface structures similar to those seen on respiratory epithelial cells of trout gills in vivo. Growth rate, [3H]thymidine incorporation and attachment efficiency were used to evaluate culture conditions. Epidermal growth factor, insulin, transferrin, hydrocortisone, laminin and collagen did not improve growth and attachment. Similarly, coating the culture dishes with rat tail collagen, trout skin extract, laminin or a mixture of human basement membrane proteins (Matrigel) failed to improve attachment. It is concluded that the cells in culture are respiratory epithelial cells and that this culture system could provide a valuable new approach for studying the physiology of these cells.
In the field: an interview with Harald Wolf
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In our new Conversation, Harald Wolf talks about his fieldwork experiences working with desert ants in Tunisia to understand their navigation.
Propose a new Workshop
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Our Workshops bring together leading experts and early-career researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds. Applications are now open to propose Workshops for 2024, one of which will be held in a Global South country.
Julian Dow steps down and John Terblanche joins the JEB team
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After 15 years with the journal, Julian Dow from University of Glasgow, UK, is stepping down as a Monitoring Editor. We wish Julian all the best for the future and welcome John Terblanche, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, who is joining the team. Julian talks about his long association with The Company of Biologists and the journal and John tells us about his life and career in this News article.
The capture of crude oil droplets by filter feeders at high and low Reynolds numbers
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Researchers from the University of Montreal, Canada, reveal how tiny filter feeding barnacles and Daphnia entrap and consume minute droplets of crude oil, introducing the pollutant at the bottom of the food chain.
Patterns and processes in amphibious fish
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In their Review, Keegan Lutek, Cassandra Donatelli and Emily Standen discuss the biomechanics and neural control of terrestrial locomotion in amphibious fish. They explore how locomotor mode depends on body shape, physical constraints and phylogeny.
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