title: A systematic study on hemocyte identification and plasma prophenoloxidase from Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus at different developmental stages.
abstract: Culexpipiens quinquefasciatus (C. quinquefasciatus) is an important vector that can transmit human diseases such as West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, Japanese encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis. However, very limited research concerning the humoral and cellular immune defenses of C. quinquefasciatus has been done. Here we present the research on hemocyte identification and plasma including hemocyte prophenoloxidase from C. quinquefasciatus at all developmental stages in order to obtain a complete picture of C. quinquefasciatus innate immunity. We identified hemocytes into four types: prohemocytes, oenocytoids, plasmatocytes and granulocytes. Prophenoloxidase (PPO) is an essential enzyme to induce melanization after encapsulation. PPO-positive hemocytes and plasma PPO were observed at all developmental stages. As for specific hemocyte types, prophenoloxidase was found in the plasmatocytes at larval stage alone and in the smallest prohemocytes during almost all developmental stages. Moreover, the granulocytes were PPO-positive from blood-fed female mosquitoes and oenocytoids were observed PPO-positive in pupae and in adult females after blood-feeding. As for plasma, there were different patterns of PPO in C. quinquefasciatus at different developmental stages. These results are forming a basis for further studies on the function of C. quinquefasciatus hemocytes and prophenoloxidase as well as their involvement in fighting against mosquito-borne pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Insect Science, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Graduate School, 300 Feng Lin Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhixiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Anrui
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xuquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qimiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Brenda T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Beerntsen
authors.forename: Chaoliang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Huaimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Erjun
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000032:analysis*; D002452:Cell Count; D003465:Culex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis; D011679:Pupa / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; C038451:pro-phenoloxidase; D004156:Catechol Oxidase; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase