Gender-related variations in hemolymph parameters of Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae): HPLC analysis and phenoloxidase activity
We characterized the enzymatic activity of basal and total phenoloxidase and HLPC and SDS- PAGE profiles in hemolymph of Carabus lefebvrei males and females at different reproductive status. The phenoloxidase activity was activated by trypsin and inhibited by phenoloxidase activity specific inhibitor phenylthiourea. Our results demonstrated that both in males and females, there were no significant differences in the basal phenoloxidase activity between reproductive and virgin beetles, while the total phenoloxidase activity increased significantly in virgin specimens. Thus, resources seem to be invested to increase the humoral response in pre-reproductive phase forming a barrier against path…
F-type lectin from serum of the Antarctic teleost fish Trematomus bernacchii (Boulenger, 1902): Purification, structural characterization, and bacterial agglutinating activity.
Abstract The increasing availability of sequenced genomes has enabled a deeper understanding of the complexity of fish lectin repertoires involved in early development and immune recognition. The teleost fucose-type lectin (FTL) family includes proteins that preferentially bind fucose and display tandemly arrayed carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRDs) or are found in mosaic combinations with other domains. They function as opsonins, promoting phagocytosis and the clearance of microbial pathogens. The Antarctic fish Trematomus bernacchii is a Perciforme living at extremely low temperatures (−1.68 °C) which is considered a model for studying adaptability to the variability of environmental w…