title: Lectin-induced haemocyte inactivation in insects.
abstract: Most multimeric lectins are adhesion molecules, promoting attachment and spreading on surface glycodeterminants. In addition, some lectins have counter-adhesion properties, detaching already spread cells which then acquire round or spindle-formed cell shapes. Since lectin-mediated adhesion and detachment is observed in haemocyte-like Drosophila cells, which have haemomucin as the major lectin-binding glycoprotein, the two opposite cell behaviours may be the result of lectin-mediated receptor rearrangements on the cell surface. To investigate oligomeric lectins as a possible extracellular driving force affecting cell shape changes, we examined lectin-mediated reactions in lepidopteran haemocytes after cytochalasin D-treatment and observed that while cell-spreading was dependent on F-actin, lectin-uptake was less dependent on F-actin. We propose a model of cell shape changes involving a dynamic balance between adhesion and uptake reactions.
authors.affiliation: Insect Molecular Biology, School of Agriculture, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glatz
authors.forename: Harry L S
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Dongmei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarjan
authors.forename: Ulrich H
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Theopold
authors.forename: Sassan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asgari
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D015638:Cytochalasin D; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins; D015638:Cytochalasin D