Isolation and long-term culture of neural stem cells from chondrostei fish Acipenser persicus

In the present study, an in vitro brain cell culture was developed from Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus). The tissues from anterior, middle and posterior regions of the brain were dissected, dispersed and cultivated separately in DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum, antibiotic and antimycotic. The medium was changed every 3 days. The cells became confluent after about 3 weeks from the initial time of seeding. The cell cultures from posterior part of the brain, CPS, showed high potential of proliferation as they have been passaged 16 times during more than 11 months. To determine optimal temperature, the brain cells were incubated at different temperatures, 20, 22, 25 and 280C. The best cultivation temperature was obtained at 250C. The cells from CPS culture were cryopreserved successfully and the survival rate was 70% after thawing. Immunocytochemistry using antibody against nestin showed that some cells were immunopositive for nestin. The obtained CPS culture with high proliferation capacity can be useful for research on A. persicus in the future.