Arthropod immunity : characterisation of the humoral immune responses in two species of arthropods - the Kalahari millipede Triaenostreptus Triodus (Attems) and the scorpion Opisthopthalmus Latimanus (Koch).

Abstract

This is the first report comparing the inducible humoral immune responses of two long-lived arthropods. Inducible humoral immune responses were detected in two arthropods namely, the scorpion Opisthopthalmus latitnanus (Arachnida) and the millipede Triaetiostreptus triodus (Diploooda: Spirostreptidae). These anti-bacterial activities were elicited by live gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. A dramatic hemocytopenia was demonstrated in both the millipede and scorpion after experimental infection, suggesting the possible release of a hemocyte depletion factor. The anti-bacterial humoral responses ur the millipede and the scorpion were similar in magnitude to those that have been reported for a large variety of short-lived insects. I also provide further characterisation of the anti-bacterial defence proteirus) of the Kalahari millipede. My results suggest that the humoral immune response (If arthopods may have a long and conserved phylogeny.