Seasonal variations in haemocyte response in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk

In the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk., the cells in charge of the immune response are the haemocytes. This work focused on the response capacity of these cells throughout the year, as significant differences between summer and winter months had been detected. The haemocytes were kept in culture for three days in order to obtain certain uniformity in cell state. Their response to inducers such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) was then observed to differ significantly if collected either in summer or in winter. These differences appeared in nearly all the parameters assessed: expression of molecules binding monoclonal antibodies anti α chain of the receptor of IL-2 (anti-IL-2Rα MoAb), production of nitric oxide (NO) and catecholamines and expression of a novel protein kinase C (nPKC) purified from mussel and termed p105.