Yonago Acta medica 1991;34:119-122

Lysosomal Enzymes in the Hemocytes of Two Gastropod Molluscs, Clithon retropictus and Nerita albicilla

Norichika H. Kumazawa, Takahiko Tanigawa*, Noriko Kasagi, Eiichi Kato and Yoshinori Tanaka*

Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680 and Department of Bacteriology* and First Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683, Japan

To elucidate the mechanisms of the sedentary capability of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in an estuarine gastropod mollusc, Clithon retropictus, the lysosomal enzymes of the hemocytes of C. retropictus were characterized and compared with those of a marine gastropod, Nerita albicilla. The results showed that nonspecific esterase and acid phosphatase were less active in the C. retropictus hemocytes than in the N. albicilla hemocytes, although both hemocytes showed the same level of β-glucuronidase. All of the enzymes in the hemocytes of these gastropods were less active than those in mouse macrophages. The low activity of the lysosomal enzymes in the C. retropictus hemocytes might be related to the sedentary capability of V. parahaemolyticus in the gastropod.

Key words: gastropod; hemocytes; lysosomal enzyme

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