title: Morphologic, cytometric and functional characterisation of abalone (Haliotis tuberculata) haemocytes.
abstract: This work presents the first detailed microscopic and functional analysis of the haemocytes of an abalone; the European Haliotis tuberculata. It is shown that in contrast to the situation in bivalves, only very few basophilic "granulocytes" could be found and exclusively with a histological stain. Neither flow cytometry, phase contrast observation nor transmission electron microscopy were able to detect any granular cells. The large majority of cells was constituted of "hyalinocytes", which could be sorted by flow cytometry, for the first time, into small (blast-like) and large cells. This permits a detailed analysis of haemocytes and especially of the lowly represented blast-like cells. The differences in haemolymph cell composition between bivalves and gastropods is reviewed in depth and discussed in view of the new data we present. Most of the abalone haemocytes analysed harbour many vacuoles, large glycogen deposits, lipid inclusions and acidic compartments. However, although the number of these "inclusions" was rather variable in between individual hyalinocytes, these experiments did not allow to discern subpopulations using these criteria, and the population appears more as a "differentiation continuum". Haemocytes adhere very rapidly and are immunologically active as they quickly phagocytose latex beads and zymozan particles. This study is the first step towards understanding the H. tuberculata immune system by adapting new tools to gastropods and in providing a first detailed morpho-functional study of their haemocytes.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR 6539 Laboratoire des sciences de l'Environnement MARin, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Place Copernic, 29280 Plouzané, France. agnestravers@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marie-Agnès
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Travers
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mirella da Silva
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Le Goïc
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marie
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donval
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huchette
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koken
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paillard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001391:Azo Compounds; D001399:Azure Stains; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003959:Diamines; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000166:cytology*; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009281:Naphthalenes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011804:Quinolines; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D001399:Azure Stains; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D003959:Diamines; D009281:Naphthalenes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011804:Quinolines; C098022:SYBR Green I; C016118:Sudan Black B