EFFECTS OF BASEMENT-MEMBRANES ON THE BEHAVIOR OF HEMOCYTES FROM PSEUDOPLUSIA-INCLUDENS (LEPIDOPTERA-NOCTUIDAE) - DEVELOPMENT OF AN IN-VITROENCAPSULATION ASSAY
Ll. Pech et al., EFFECTS OF BASEMENT-MEMBRANES ON THE BEHAVIOR OF HEMOCYTES FROM PSEUDOPLUSIA-INCLUDENS (LEPIDOPTERA-NOCTUIDAE) - DEVELOPMENT OF AN IN-VITROENCAPSULATION ASSAY, Journal of insect physiology, 41(9), 1995, pp. 801-807
The effects of culturing hemocytes from Pseudoplusia includens on the
basement membrane preparation, Matrigel, were examined. Hemocytes in m
ixed populations did not spread on tissue culture plates coated with M
atrigel, whereas cells readily spread on uncoated plates. The two adhe
sive morphotypes, granular cells and plasmatocytes, also failed to spr
ead when purified and cultured on Matrigel coated plates, although pla
smatocytes formed homotypic aggregates. Granular cells cultured on Mat
rigel retained their ability to endocytose fluorescently labeled beads
and to adhere to a variety of foreign surfaces. Mixed populations of
hemocytes or purified populations of plasmatocytes readily encapsulate
d Dowex 1X2 beads when incubated on Matrigel coated plates. In contras
t, individual beads were not encapsulated when hemocytes were cultured
with Dowex 1X2 beads in uncoated tissue culture plates. Capsules form
ed in vitro on Matrigel were indistinguishable from capsules formed in
vivo, suggesting this simple system will be valuable in characterizin
g factors mediating encapsulation in insects.