Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
2430117 Developmental & Comparative Immunology 2009 7 Pages PDF
Abstract

The presence of phenoloxidase (PO) activity was detected in different developmental stages of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. A significant reduction in PO activity was observed from the 6 h embryo stage to the day 11 larvae by spectrophotometry. A progressive increase was also observed from the day 13 larvae right through to the juvenile stage. The microscopy studies with ‘6 h embryo’ and adult samples confirmed the presence of PO activity. Various modulators of PO activity were used to study the triggering of pro-phenoloxidase (proPO) activating system of C. gigas but also to confirm the exact nature of the monitored activity. The enzyme activation mechanisms appear to differ with the developmental stage: bacterial lipopolysaccharides constitute an early elicitor of the proPO–PO system, whereas a purified trypsin triggers proPO–PO system in C. gigas spat. Phenoloxidase activity was totally suppressed by PO-specific inhibitors such as β-2-mercaptoethanol, sodium diethyldithiocarbonate and tropolone. This study demonstrated the selective response of PO-like activity by different elicitors and suggested that proPO–PO activating system, which is supposed to play an important function in non-self recognition and host immune reactions in oyster, is expressed early in the Pacific oyster, C. gigas.

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