Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2025, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (2): 84-91.doi: 10.11978/2024108CSTR: 32234.14.2024108

• Marine Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Morphological classification and phagocytosis of haemocytes in Spondylus sp.

ZHOU Kexin(), ZHEN Wenjing, ZHANG Wenwen, WANG Jiangyong()   

  1. Huizhou University, Huizhou 516000, China
  • Received:2024-05-25 Revised:2024-07-22 Online:2025-03-10 Published:2025-04-11
  • Contact: WANG Jiangyong
  • Supported by:
    Guangdong Provincial Department of Education Marine Shellfish Ecological Aquaculture and Disease Prevention and Control Innovation Team Project(2021KCXTD057); Professors and doctors of Huizhou University started the project(15604220001)

Abstract:

Blood cells, as the main immune effector cells, play a very important role in the immune defense system of shellfish. The morphology, type and phagocytosis function of hemocytes of Spondylus sp. were studied by means of blood cell count, Giemsa staining, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence phagocytosis. The results showed that the blood cell density of the Spondylus sp. was 3.296 × 106 cells·mL-1, and the blood cells differ significantly in size and with regard to whether they contain particles within the cytoplasm. Based on these differences, they are subdivided them into four types: hyalinocyte (9.74%), granulocyte (58.14%), agranular haemocyte (27.50%) and lymphoid (4.62%). Hyalinocytes, agranular haemocytes, granulocytes and lymphoids could be observed under transmission electron microscope. Under the observation of scanning electron microscope, four different types of cells can be clearly distinguished, which are oval cells, round cells, spindle cells, nucleated (conical) cells. A phagocytosis experiment was carried out with Escherichia coli BL21 labeled with the green fluorescent protein (GFP), and the results showed that the phagocytosis of the blood cells from Spondylus sp. was mainly dependent on granulocytes.

Key words: Spondylus sp., haemocyte, morphological classification, granulocyte, agranulocyte, phagocytosis

CLC Number: 

  • P735.2