Parasites cause serious problems to honey bee colonies all around the world.
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It is important to have a better understanding of honey bee immunity.
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With monoclonal antibodies we defined the hemocyte populations and their function.
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We identified the AmPPO in the oenocytes involved in melanization reactions.
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The antibodies may serve as a valuable tool to study honey bee cellular immunity.
Abstract
Cell mediated immunity of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) involves the activity of several hemocyte populations, currently defined by morphological features and lectin binding characteristics. The objective of the present study was to identify molecular markers capable of characterizing subsets of honey bee hemocytes. We developed and employed monoclonal antibodies with restricted reactions to functionally distinct hemocyte subpopulations. Melanizing cells, known as oenocytoids, were defined by an antibody to prophenoloxidase, aggregating cells were identified by the expression of Hemolectin, and phagocytic cells were identified by a marker expressed on granulocytes. We anticipate that this combination of antibodies not only allows for the detection of functionally distinct hemocyte subtypes, but will help to further the exploration of hematopoietic compartments, as well as reveal details of the honey bee cellular immune defense against parasites and microbes.
Present address: Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
