Specific hemagglutinin and a modulator of complement in cockroach hemolymph.
Abstract: Natural hemagglutinin activity against vertebrate erythrocytes is present in the hemolymph of the cockroach Blabarus craniifer. The hemagglutinin titer against rabbit erythrocytes is high, whereas sheep and horse red cells agglutinate weakly. Hemagglutinin activity was depressed by the complement inhibitor, cobra venom factor. Cockroach hemagglutinin is heat-labile; all activity is destroyed by heating at 56 C for 1 hr. A humoral factor similar to the complement component 3 proactivator is also present in cockroach hemolymph. The formation of the cobra venom factor-hemolymph "complex" is dependent on the presence of divalent cations and will not proceed at 56 C. The hemolytic intermediate formed after treatment of cockroach hemolymph with cobra venom factor was active in the presence of serum treated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to inactivate the early complement components.
Publication Date: 1972-01-01 PubMed ID: 4656356PubMed Central: PMC422320DOI: 10.1128/iai.5.1.55-59.1972Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research focuses on a specialized property of the hemolymph (insect blood) in cockroaches, particularly the Blabarus craniifer species, that allows it to agglutinate or clump vertebrate red blood cells together and reacts to cobra venom.
Hemagglutinin Activity in Cockroach Hemolymph
- The researchers discovered a natural hemagglutinin activity in the hemolymph of the Blabarus craniifer cockroach. Hemagglutinin is a substance that causes red blood cells to clump together or agglutinate.
- The hemagglutinin in cockroach hemolymph showed different reactivity towards red blood cells of different animals. It demonstrated a high titer or concentration against rabbit erythrocytes (red blood cells), while inducing weak agglutination in sheep and horse red cells.
Effect of Cobra Venom Factor on Hemagglutinin Activity
- The study showed that the hemagglutinin activity in cockroach hemolymph can be affected by foreign factors, such as cobra venom factor. This venom factor inhibited or reduced the hemagglutinin activity.
- Similarly, heat also affects the hemagglutinin in cockroach hemolymph. All activity was destroyed when subjected to a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius for one hour.
Presence of Complement Component 3 Proactivator-like Factor
- The researchers also found a humoral factor in the cockroach’s hemolymph that resembles the complement component 3 proactivator, a part of the immune system that enhances the ability of antibodies and white blood cells to clear microbes and damaged cells.
- This formation of a cobra venom factor-hemolymph complex was dependent on the presence of divalent cations (ions with a charge of +2) and doesn’t proceed at a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius.
- The hemolytic intermediate, which is a temporary product formed when the hemolymph interacts with the cobra venom factor, displayed activity when in the presence of serum treated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid – a substance used to inactivate the early complement components.
This research shed light on the complex, defensive properties of the cockroach hemolymph, including its interaction with the venom of predators and its inherent intra-species variations, both of which could have implications for future biological research.
Cite This Article
APA
Anderson RS, Day NK, Good RA.
(1972).
Specific hemagglutinin and a modulator of complement in cockroach hemolymph.
Infect Immun, 5(1), 55-59.
https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.5.1.55-59.1972 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Agglutinins
- Animals
- Antibodies
- Anura / immunology
- Cockroaches / immunology
- Complement System Proteins
- Erythrocytes / immunology
- Guinea Pigs / immunology
- Hemolymph / immunology
- Hemolysis / drug effects
- Horses / immunology
- Rabbits / immunology
- Sheep / immunology
- Snakes
- Venoms / pharmacology
References
This article includes 12 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Rowley AF, Ratcliffe NA. Insect erythrocyte agglutinins. In vitro opsonization experiments with Clitumnus extradentatus and Periplaneta americana haemocytes.. Immunology 1980 Jul;40(3):483-92.
- Brai M, Osler AG. Cobra venom-induced hemolysis. Activity levels in sera of patients with neoplastic and other diseases.. J Exp Med 1972 Oct 1;136(4):950-5.
- Canicatti C. Membrane damage by coelomic fluid from Holothuria polii (Echinodermata).. Experientia 1987 Jun 15;43(6):611-4.
- Canicatti C. Hemolysins: pore-forming proteins in invertebrates.. Experientia 1990 Mar 15;46(3):239-44.
- Dales RP. Defence of invertebrates against bacterial infection.. J R Soc Med 1979 Sep;72(9):688-96.
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