Hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) disease leads to retarded growth in shrimp resulting in a major loss for the shrimp industry worldwide. The causative agent of HPM is a microsporidian known as Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP). It is little understood how EHP infects its host and hijacks its cellular machinery to replicate more organisms. Lack of an immortal cell line is a bottleneck in studying the cellular and molecular basis of EHP infection in shrimp. For this reason, EHP cannot be propagated in in vitro culture and must be propagated in live shrimp. The use of live EHP-infected shrimp remains the only way to study EHP infectivity. It was hypothesized that supplementing EHP with fresh host cells will aid the propagation of EHP in vitro. Further research must be done but with the data collected at this point, this hypothesis is rejected. In addition to the challenges in amplifying EHP in in vitro culture, there is no antibody-based detection method for EHP. EHP infection in a shrimp is examined by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) histology and real-time polymerase chain reaction based detection methods. Monoclonal antibodies that were previously characterized by Riggs and colleagues to detect Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), successfully detected other parasites. Based on this, it was hypothesized that monoclonal antibodies against C. parvum may also detect EHP

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https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/666218

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a microsporidian parasite that can infect the hepatopancreas (the digestive gland) of shrimp and other crustaceans. While it is possible to cultivate EHP in shrimp cell lines, it requires specialized techniques and equipment, and is typically only done in research settings.

To cultivate EHP in a shrimp cell line, the first step is to obtain a pure culture of the parasite. This can be done by isolating the parasite from infected shrimp or by using a commercially available culture of EHP.

Next, the shrimp cell line must be prepared for infection. This typically involves growing the cells in tissue culture flasks or wells, and maintaining them in a sterile environment.

Once the cell line is prepared and the EHP culture is obtained, the cells can be infected with the parasite by adding the EHP culture to the cells and incubating them at the appropriate temperature and humidity. The infected cells can then be observed for signs of EHP growth, such as the presence of spores or the development of characteristic cytopathic effects.

It is important to note that working with EHP and other microsporidian parasites can be challenging, as they are highly infectious and can cause serious illness in humans. Therefore, it is important to follow proper safety protocols and to use caution when handling these parasites.

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a microsporidian parasite that can infect the hepatopancreas (the digestive gland) of shrimp and other crustaceans. While it is possible to cultivate EHP in shrimp cell lines, it requires specialized techniques and equipment, and is typically only done in research settings.

To cultivate EHP in a shrimp cell line, the first step is to obtain a pure culture of the parasite. This can be done by isolating the parasite from infected shrimp or by using a commercially available culture of EHP.

Next, the shrimp cell line must be prepared for infection. This typically involves growing the cells in tissue culture flasks or wells, and maintaining them in a sterile environment.

Once the cell line is prepared and the EHP culture is obtained, the cells can be infected with the parasite by adding the EHP culture to the cells and incubating them at the appropriate temperature and humidity. The infected cells can then be observed for signs of EHP growth, such as the presence of spores or the development of characteristic cytopathic effects.

It is important to note that working with EHP and other microsporidian parasites can be challenging, as they are highly infectious and can cause serious illness in humans. Therefore, it is important to follow proper safety protocols and to use caution when handling these parasites.