Hemocyte Phagocytosis
Hemocyte Phagocytosis - Related Videos
02:19
A Hemocyte Disturbance Assay to Assess Hemocyte Re-Adhesion to Hematopoietic Pockets
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2025
This video demonstrates the hemocyte disturbance assay, evaluating hemocyte re-adhesion in Drosophila larvae's hematopoietic pockets. Mechanical disturbance releases resident hemocytes, elevating circulating hemocyte counts. Post-recovery, re-adherence of resident hemocytes is confirmed, illustrating reversibility.
04:50
An In Vivo Assay to Quantify Bacterial Phagocytosis in Adult Drosophila Flies
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2025
This video demonstrates an in vivo assay designed to measure bacterial phagocytosis in adult Drosophila flies. Following the injection of fluorescently labeled bacteria into the abdomen of adult flies, hemocytes associated with the dorsal vessel engage in phagocytosis. The introduction of trypan blue dye serves to quench the fluorescence emitted by extracellular, non-phagocytosed bacteria. This quenching process enhances the identification of phagocytosed bacteria when observed under a...
11:49
Methods to Examine the Lymph Gland and Hemocytes in Drosophila Larvae
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Cited by 5 •
2016
Drosophila and mammalian hematopoietic systems share many common features, making Drosophila an attractive genetic model to study hematopoiesis. Here we demonstrate dissection and mounting of the major larval hematopoietic organ for immunohistochemistry. We also describe methods to assay various larval hematopoietic compartments including circulating hemocytes and sessile crystal cells.
02:35
High-Resolution Confocal Imaging of Pathogen-Infected Drosophila Hemocytes
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2026
Source: Hiroyasu, A., et al. Extraction of Hemocytes from Drosophila melanogaster Larvae for Microbial Infection and Analysis. J. Vis. Exp. (2018)This video demonstrates high-resolution confocal imaging of Drosophila melanogaster hemocytes infected with Coxiella burnetii to visualize pathogen localization in 3D, enabling detailed analysis of intracellular infection dynamics and host-pathogen interactions.
05:20
Assessing the Age-Specific Phagocytic Ability of Adult Drosophila melanogaster Hemocytes using an In Vivo Phagocytosis Assay
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Cited by 1 •
2020
This protocol describes an in vivo assay of phagocytosis used to assess and quantify the ability of young and aged Drosophila melanogaster hemocytes to phagocytose bacteria.
FAQs
Surface receptors provide the recognition step by binding invading microorganisms, damaged cells, or foreign particles. This interaction identifies material for removal and triggers the hemocyte to extend pseudopodia around the target. Because receptor binding precedes internalization, changes at this stage can influence whether a target is recognized and subsequently processed by the cell.
Pseudopodia progressively enclose the bound material and internalize it within a membrane-bound phagosome. The phagosome then fuses with lysosomes, forming a degradative compartment where lysosomal enzymes break down the contents. This sequence connects recognition with intracellular disposal and helps prevent potentially harmful material from remaining outside the hemocyte.
In some invertebrate species, hemocytes supplement enzymatic degradation with oxidative killing after internalization. Oxidative activity can contribute to the destruction of microorganisms within the processing compartment, although its presence is species-dependent. This variation makes oxidative responses a useful feature to consider when comparing immune defenses across different invertebrate organisms.
Studies can focus on how hemocytes respond to invading microorganisms, damaged cells, or foreign particles. These targets represent different biological challenges: infection, tissue injury, and non-self material. Comparing their handling can help investigators examine recognition and removal while relating cellular activity to broader questions about tissue health and innate immune defense.
A useful cellular sequence begins with target recognition through surface receptor binding, followed by pseudopod extension, internalization into a phagosome, and lysosomal fusion. Investigators can use this sequence as a framework for organizing observations of the process. Examining each stage helps connect an initial interaction with the eventual enzymatic degradation or oxidative killing of the target.
Hemocyte phagocytosis supports research on insect and invertebrate immunity, host-pathogen interactions, and inflammatory responses. It also provides a cellular context for studying how environmental contaminants affect immune function. Results can therefore connect intracellular removal of targets with organismal protection, tissue maintenance, infection-related responses, and changes in immune performance caused by external conditions.