Identifcation of the Nramp Gene in TV-I fibroblasts from Turbot Psetta maxima, formerly Scophthalmus maximus L. I758 (Pisces: scophthalmidae)

The correct identification of the species of origin in cell culture procedures as well as the detection of eventual cross-contamination by other cells are of essential importance to ensure the correctness of all experimental trials. In this connection, PCR is a fundamental technique to identify the occurrence of genetic information belonging to a defined species. In this paper the correspondence between the known sequences for turbot Psetta maxima (formerly Scophthalmus maximus) and those obtained from TV-I cells from juvenile Psetta maxima was searched by PCR by analysing the Nramp (Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage Protein) gene, which is known to occur in several tissues of turbot and in a turbot embrional cell line. The obtained results showed an high degree of homology of the amplified fragment of TV-I cell line with the Nramp coding region of Teleosts, and a high degree of probability of the occurrence of mRNA belonging to Psetta maxima; so it could be excluded at a greater extent a contamination by genetic material of other organisms and the occurrence of information coming from Teleosts in TV-I cells was confirmed.