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Site of hemolymph lectin production and its activation in vitro by 20‐hydroxyecdysone
Author(s) -
Amanai Kazuhito,
Sakurai Sho,
Ohtaki Tetsuya
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
archives of insect biochemistry and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.576
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1520-6327
pISSN - 0739-4462
DOI - 10.1002/arch.940170106
Subject(s) - hemolymph , biology , lectin , bombycidae , in vitro , bombyx mori , instar , 20 hydroxyecdysone , biochemistry , larva , hormone , botany , gene
Abstract To identify the tissues which produce hemolymph lectin in larvae of Bombyx mori , ovary, testis, fat body, and hemocytes from 5th‐instar larvae were cultured in vitro and the culture medium was partially purified and assayed for hemagglutinating activity. Among the tissues tested, hemocytes appeared to be a major source of the hemolymph lectins. Ovary produced lectins to about one‐tenth of the amount observed for the hemocytes, whereas testis and fat body were not productive. To study the hormonal control of hemolymph lectin production by hemocytes, hemocytes from 4th‐instar larvae were cultured in vitro. Hemagglutinating activity in the hemolymph of 4th‐instar larvae was immunostainable with the monoclonal antibody raised against 350,000 dalton lectin found in the 5th‐instar hemolymph, but their molecular sizes were larger than the 5th‐instar hemolymph lectins. When 20‐hydroxyecdysone was added into the medium, production of the lectin by the hemocytes was remarkably enhanced, depending upon the hormone concentration.