IMMUNOCHEMICAL IDENTIFICATION OF INSECT HEMOCYTE POPULATIONS - MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES DISTINGUISH 4 MAJOR HEMOCYTE TYPES IN MANDUCA-SEXTA

We have made 140 monoclonal antibodies to hemocytes (insect blood tell s) from Manduca sexta. Four of these antibodies, when used in immunofl uorescent microscopy of fired hemocytes, distinguish the four main mor phologically distinct hemocyte types. Plasmatocytes, granular cells, a nd oenocytoids are each recognized by a unique antibody specific to th at type; spherulocytes are recognized by an antibody that also binds t o plasmatocytes. When used in now cytometry with nonfixed hemocytes, t hree of the four antibodies bind their respective cells; the oenocytoi d marker failed to bind to any hemocytes. This set of four monoclonal antibodies may be useful for labeling individual cell types and for se parating the different hemocyte types for further study of hemocyte fu nctions.