The role of hemolymph in the initial cellular attachment to foreign cells by the hemocytes of the silkworm,

The effects of silkworm hemolymph, , on the frequency of hemocyte-binding were studied using the scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ) and a rosette assay with goose erythrocytes ( GRBC ). Hemocytes from the last instar larvae were able to bind to GRBC int he absence of hemolymph. Hemocytes type involved in sponteneous cytoadherence was mainly the granular cell, while both plasmatocyte and prohemocyte were also observed to adhere to GRBC. However, the frequency of these two hemocytes binding to GRBC was low compared with that of granular cells. Observations with the SEM showed that the presence of hemolymph increased the number of GRBC-binding hemocytes, especially the granular cells and plasmatocytes. Therefore, hemolymph probably had a significant role in the attachment of granular cells and plasmatocytes to foreign erythrocytes.