title: Morula cells as the major immunomodulatory hemocytes in ascidians: evidences from the colonial species Botryllus schlosseri.
abstract: Immunocytochemical methods were used to study the presence and distribution of IL-1-alpha- and TNF-alpha-like molecules in the hemocytes of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Only a few unstimulated hemocytes were positive to both the antibodies used. When the hemocytes were stimulated with either mannan or phorbol 12-mono-myristate, the phagocytes were not significantly changed in their number, staining intensity, or cell morphology. In contrast, stimulated morula cells were intensely labeled, indicating that these cells play an important immunomodulatory role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35100 Padova, Italy. ballarin@civ.unipd.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ballarin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franchini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabbadin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000166:cytology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D008351:Mannans / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D014561:Urochordata / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D008351:Mannans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate