title: Ultrastructural characterization of the hemocytes of Lasiodora sp. (Koch, 1850) (Araneae: Theraphosidae).
abstract: This paper is the first descriptive review of hemolymph cell types in the circulation of the tarantula spider Lasiodora sp. These animals are more long-lived than other arthropods, and may live for approximately twenty years. Such remarkable longevity may result from a highly successful immune system, which in turn is directly correlated with hemocyte function. Since the literature on the genus Lasiodora sp. is limited, the main goal of the present study was to identify the different cell types by optical and transmission microscope. Six hemocyte types were characterized and called prohemocyte, granulocyte type I, granulocyte type II, spherulocyte, oenocytoid and plasmatocyte. Prohemocytes presented a large nucleus, elongated granulocytes type I showed the nucleus with the same cell format, elliptical granulocytes type II showed the central nucleus of identical shape, spherulocytes exhibited the nucleus filling almost the whole cell, oval oenocytoids showed eccentric nucleus and less dense cytoplasm, and irregular plasmatocytes showed a nucleus and no granules in cytoplasm. These polymorphic granulocytes presented a round, elongated, elliptical, oval or irregular profile with large and varied numbers of granules, except for plasmatocytes, that were agranular. Different densities and different concentrations of these granules were found at the periphery of the cell. The possible reasons and implications of differences and similarities between arthropods hemocytes are discussed. It can be concluded that there are six cell types in Lasiodora sp. This study is of the first step in the elucidation of the role these cells play in the circulatory and immune system in spiders.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco UFPE, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Marília Gabriela Dos Santos
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.forename: Felipe Roberto Borba
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Maria do Socorro de Mendonça
authors.initials: Mdo S
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Fábio André
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Brayner
authors.forename: Patrícia Maria Guedes
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Paiva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001097:Arachnida / Q000166:cytology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods