The interactions between Drosophila melanogaster and the parasitoid wasps that infect species provide an important model for understanding host–parasite relationships. Following infection, D. larvae mount a response in which immune cells (hemocytes) form capsule around wasp egg, then melanizes, leading to death of parasitoid. Previous studies have found host hemocyte load; number hemocytes avai...

The aim of the present study was to determine various types of hemocytes, total and differential hemocyte count and to show some indices of phagocytosis, including percent phagocytosis and phagocytic index in Indian white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus indicus in Iranian shrimp farms. The hemolymph was extracted from the shrimps and mixed with anticoagulant. It then stained and Yeast was added as forei...

To elucidate molecular responses of shrimp hemocytes to white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was applied to investigate differentially expressed proteins in hemocytes of Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis) at 24 h post infection (hpi). Approximately 580 protein spots were detected in hemocytes of healthy and WSSV-infected shrimps. Quantitative in...

BACKGROUND Octopus vulgaris is a highly valuable species of great commercial interest and excellent candidate for aquaculture diversification; however, the octopus' well-being is impaired by pathogens, of which the gastrointestinal coccidian parasite Aggregata octopiana is one of the most important. The knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of the immune response in cephalopods, especially in o...

The interaction between microorganisms and host defense mechanisms is a decisive factor for the survival of marine bivalves. They rely on cell-mediated and humoral reactions to overcome the pathogens that naturally occur in the marine environment. In order to understand host defense reactions in animals inhabiting extreme environments we investigated some of the components from the immune syste...

In this study, we described the cytosolic HSP90 of Bonamia ostreae, an intracellular parasite of Ostrea edulis hemocytes. The complete open reading frame was assembled by Rapid Amplification cDNA Ends reactions on cDNA of B. ostreae-infected hemocytes. HSP90 amplification was corroborated in infected oysters and B. ostreae purified cells. The functionality of the HSP90, studied by inhibitory as...

Patched-related (Ptr) encodes a protein with 12 potential transmembrane domains and a sterol-sensing domain that is closely related in predicted topology and domain organization to Patched, the canonical receptor of the Hedgehog pathway. Here we describe the production of an antibody specific for Drosophila Ptr and analyse its spatial and temporal distribution in the embryo. We find that at ear...

We report here the screening of five marine invertebrate species from two taxa (tunicates and echinoderms) for the presence of cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMP) in defence cells (hemocytes). Antimicrobial activities were detected only in the two tunicates Microcosmus sabatieri and Halocynthia papillosa. In addition, we report the isolation and characterization of two novel peptides from H. ...

To understand the role that hemocytes play in processes of cellular immunity bivalve mollusks, they should be accurately classified based on their morphological and physiological characteristics. The circulating cultured Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) marine mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were investigated using light microscopy flow cytometry. In mussel, two cell types, granulocytes ag...