We explore the use of the clam Tapes semidecussatus Reeves 1864 as an indicator for the presence of potentially genotoxic substances in estuarine sediments. The limitations associated with the interpretation of Comet assay data (expressed as % DNA in tail) in terms of clam reproductive state, size (age) and thermal exposure history following laboratory acclimation are discussed. Hatchery-reared...

In the context of massive summer mortality events of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, the aim of this study was to investigate the early effects on genes, enzymes and haemocyte parameters implicated in immune defence mechanisms in C. gigas oysters exposed to a potentially hostile environment, i.e. to an herbicide alone or within a mixture. Following 2 h of exposure to the herbicide diuron ...

Ixodes ticks harbour several human pathogens belonging to the order Rickettsiales, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human anaplasmosis. When ticks feed on A. phagocytophilum-infected mice, the pathogen enters the ticks' gut. The bacteria then migrate from the gut to infect the salivary glands of the ticks and are transmitted to the next host via the saliva. The molecular mechan...

Phenoloxidase activity in crayfish haemocyte lysates and extracts of haemocyte membranes were studied using native PAGE and SDS-PAGE gels and staining for cresolase, catecholase and laccase activities. The activation of the proenzyme, prophenoloxidase to phenoloxidase, in native PAGE was demonstrated following exposure to SDS. By staining samples separated in SDS-PAGE followed by renaturation, ...

Angiostrongylus vasorum is an emerging parasite of dogs and related to carnivores that have an indirect life cycle, with a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic gastropods as the obligatory intermediate host. Unfortunately, the relationship between A. vasorum and their snail hosts remains poorly understood. Circulating haemocytes are the main line of cellular defence involved in the destruction...

The effect of methanolic plant extracts from Solanum nigrum, Acokanthera spectabilis and Heliotropium aegyptiacum were investigated on the larval mortality and development of Culex pipiens L. Also, the effects of the LC50 of the three plant extracts on the larval haemogram were studied. Plant extracts exhibited variable bioactivities. The greatest activity was observed for S. nigrum which showe...

cDNA encoding glutathione peroxidase (GPx) mRNA of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei was obtained from haemocytes by a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA (RACE) using oligonucleotide primers based on the GPx sequence of Homo sapiens (NM002083), Mus musculus (NM008160), Arabidopsis thaliana (U94495), Bos taurus (NM174770), and Capsicum ch...