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Natural and induced bactericidal activities of the hepatopancreas of the American lobster, Homarus americanus

1978; Elsevier BV; Volume: 32; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0022-2011(78)90026-5

1096-0805

Katsuyoshi Mori, James E. Stewart,

Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms

The role of the hepatopancreas was examined in an assessment of the total concentration of bactericidal activity in the American lobster, Homarus americanus. The baseline killing power of the hepatopancreas for Pseudomonas perolens was extremely high and was enhanced conspicuously by administration of P. perolens vaccine. The humoral concentration was shown to be a minor part of the total bactericidal activity. The duration of the enhancement was approximately 14 days at 15° C and was in approximate reciprocal relationship with a change in hemolymph cell numbers. The enhancement was not observed for a vaccine prepared from the lobster pathogen, Aerococcus viridans var. homari. Thus, there is a degree of specificity of response and a greater involvement of cellular defenses than previously acknowledged for invertebrates.