title: Immune challenges trigger cellular and humoral responses in adults of Pterostichus melas italicus (Coleoptera, Carabidae).
abstract: The present study focuses on the ability of Pterostichus melas italicus Dejean to mount cellular and humoral immune responses against invading pathogens. Ultrastructural analyses revealed the presence of five morphologically distinct types of hemocytes: prohemocytes, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, oenocytoids and macrophage-like cells. Differential hemocyte counts showed that plasmatocytes and granulocytes were the most abundant circulating cell types and plasmatocytes exhibited phagocytic activity following the latex bead immune challenge. Macrophage-like cells were recruited after the immune challenge to remove exhausted phagocytizing cells, apoptotic cells and melanotic capsules formed to immobilize the latex beads. Total hemocyte counts showed a significant reduction of hemocytes after latex bead treatment. Phenoloxidase (PO) assays revealed an increase of total PO in hemolymph after immune system activation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, the LPS-stimulated hemocytes showed increased protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, indicating that the cytotoxic action of nitric oxide was engaged in this antimicrobial collaborative response. These results provide a knowledge base for further studies on the sensitivity of the P. melas italicus immune system to the environmental perturbation in order to evaluate the effect of chemicals on non-target species in agroecosystems.
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Via P. Bucci, I-87036 Rende, Italy. Electronic address: anita.giglio@unical.it.
authors: Anita
authors: A
authors: Giglio
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Via P. Bucci, I-87036 Rende, Italy.
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Brandmayr
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Via P. Bucci, I-87036 Rende, Italy.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Pasqua
authors: Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Via P. Bucci, I-87036 Rende, Italy.
authors: Tommaso
authors: T
authors: Angelone
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via Giorgieri 5, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Battistella
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via Giorgieri 5, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors: Piero G
authors: PG
authors: Giulianini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000502:physiology; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008863:Microspheres; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase
keywords: Carabid beetle; Cellular immunity; Microscopy; Nitric oxide synthase; Phagocytosis; Phenoloxidase