Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical analysis of circulating hemocytes from Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868)

Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunocytochemistry were used to assay the circulating hemocytes characteristics in Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868). Three haemocyte types could be identified in circulating hemocytes by TEM, i.e. hyaline cells (HC), semigranular cells (SGC), or granular cells (GC). The circulating hemocytes from C. quadricarinatus could be separated into layers by density gradient centrifugation. The CD34+ cells which are believed to be stem cell-like cells has been discovered in the first layer via immunocytochemical assay, which has not been reported in previous studies. These CD34+ cells may be immature cells derived from a single undifferentiated precursor cell line in specialized hematopoietic tissue (HPT).