Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41593706›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2026

Characterization of Culex pipiens cell lines: virus infection and RNAi response.

Sarah Gothe, Swati Jagtap, Philipp Böhmer, Melinda Reuter, Svea Frank, Vattipally B Sreenu, Lesley Bell-Sakyi, Andres Merits, Mine Altinli, Esther Schnettler

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sarah GotheBernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Swati JagtapBernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Philipp BöhmerBernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Melinda ReuterBernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Svea FrankBernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Vattipally B SreenuMRC-University of Glasgow-Center for Virus Research, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
Lesley Bell-SakyiDepartment of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK.
Andres MeritsInstitute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Mine AltinliBernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Esther SchnettlerBernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany. schnettler@bnitm.de.

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/P024270/1BMLE Culifo3Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 497659464Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 500072465Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung TTU 01.701 and TTU 01.708Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung TTU 01.708Klaus Tschira Stiftung GSO KT/24Wellcome Trust 223743/Z/21/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundArboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes pose a global health threat, causing diseases ranging from mild fevers to severe encephalitis and hemorrhagic fevers. Despite their growing impact, arbovirus research is hindered by biosafety constraints and the need of specialized BSL-3 insectariums. To circumvent these challenges, mosquito-derived cell lines have become indispensable tools for investigating virus-vector interactions. However, most available cell lines originate from Aedes and Anopheles spp., creating a critical research gap for other key vectors such as Culex spp. Although a few cell lines were previously established, they did not represent primary transmitters of West Nile virus (WNV) and other emerging arboviruses in Europe, such as Culex pipiens.

methodsTo address this gap, the current study aimed to characterize two recently established Culex pipiens cell lines: CPE/LULS50 (Culex pipiens pipiens & molestus) and CPL/LULS56 (Culex pipiens molestus) in more detail including testing their virus susceptibility, antiviral RNAi response, and possible presence of insect-specific viruses.

resultsThe replication of arboviruses from three clinically relevant families (Flaviviridae, Peribunyaviridae, and Togaviridae), as well as insect-specific viruses, was observed in both CPE/LULS50 and CPL/LULS56 cell lines. Furthermore, small RNA profiling revealed production of virus-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) in both cell lines for all tested viruses. Interestingly, virus-specific PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) was only detected for the Peribunyaviridae.

conclusionsThe current study demonstrates that the CPE/LULS50 and CPL/LULS56 cell lines are suitable candidates to facilitate research into Culex-specific virus-vector interactions, ultimately contributing to mitigation of the impact of Culex-borne arboviruses on public health.

Indexed as

ArbovirusesCulexMosquito VectorsRNA InterferenceAnimalsCell LineMosquito-Borne DiseasesVirus ReplicationArbovirusCulex-borne arbovirusCulex pipiens-derived cell lineInsect-specific virusRNAi

Identifiers

PMID41593706
PMCPMC12924493

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.