Establishment of a continuous cell line from southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii)

A continuous cell line, designated SBT-E1, was established from tissues of a southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) fingerling. Maximum cell proliferation rates occurred at 25 °C in Liebovitz's L-15 medium containing 10-20% FBS. Survival of SBT-E1 after short-term cryostorage was 70.8 ± 12.8%. The species of origin was confirmed by sequencing a region of the mitochondrial gene for cytochrome c oxidase, subunit I (cox1). The SBT-E1 karyotype, with a modal chromosome number of 2n = 46, differs from the constitutional karyotype of the parent species (2n = 48), with the apparent loss of either whole or partial chromosomes and the presence of small marker chromosomes. The SBT-E1 cell line represents the first reported cell line from any species of tuna.