title: Chemotactic responses of tunicate (Urochordata, Ascidiacea) hemocytes in vitro.
abstract: A number of molecules were found to alter the motility of tunicate hemocytes. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) significantly enhanced cell mobility relative to non-stimulated controls. Responses to LPS were not directional and so represented chemokinesis. In contrast, checkerboard analyses indicated that two tunicate hemolymph proteins, tunIL1-alpha and -beta, stimulated truly directional chemotaxis by hemocytes. The data suggest that tunIL1 proteins may contribute to defense by altering the localization of immunocompetent cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Raftos
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Stillman
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006458:Hemolymph; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D014561:Urochordata / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine