Drosophila melanogaster plasmatocytes, the phagocytic cells among hemocytes, are essential for immune responses, but also play key roles from early development to death through their interactions with other cell types. They regulate homeostasis and signaling during development, stem cell proliferation, metabolism, cancer, wound responses, and aging, displaying intriguing molecular and functiona...

Intercellular signaling by bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) regulates developmental decisions in virtually all animals. Here, we report that Decapentaplegic (Dpp; a Drosophila BMP family member) plays a role in blood cell homeostasis and immune responses by regulating a transcription factor cascade. The cascade begins with Dpp repression of Zfh1, continues with Zfh1 activation of Serpent (Srp...

Invertebrate organisms mostly have innate immune system. Hemocytes are the cells of immunity in invertebrates. Our study was designed to observe effect malathion insecticide on system, function and hemocytes Drosophila melanogaster. A hemocytometer used for total count which showed a reduced percentage live (from 91.63% 44.57%) due treatment. For differential count, hemolymph spread as smear cl...

Effects of Sex Ratio Organism (SRO) on the development of embryonic cells of Drosophila melanogaster were studied in vitro. The single embryo culture technique and a histochemical staining method were employed to distinguish male embryo cultures from female ones. SRO-infected Zw(n) females were crossed to wild-type males, and their embryos were separately dissociated and cultured in vitro. Cell...

Insect hemocytes (blood cells) are a central part of the insect's cellular response to bacterial pathogens, and these specialist cells can both recognize and engulf bacteria. During this process, hemocytes undergo poorly characterized changes in adhesiveness. Previously, a peptide termed plasmatocyte-spreading peptide (PSP), which induces the adhesion and spreading of plasmatocytes on foreign s...

Drosophila larval hemocytes originate from a hematopoietic organ called lymph glands, which are composed of paired lobes located along the dorsal vessel. Two mature blood cell populations are found in the circulating hemolymph: the macrophage-like plasmatocytes, and the crystal cells that contain enzymes of the immune-related melanization process. A third class of cells, called lamellocytes, ar...

The GATA factor Serpent (Srp) is required for hemocyte precursor formation during Drosophila hematopoiesis. These blood cell progenitors give rise to two distinct lineages within the developing embryo. Lozenge, a Runx protein homologue, and Glial cells missing-1 and -2 are essential for crystal cell and plasmatocyte production, respectively. In contrast U-shaped, a Friend of GATA class factor, ...