THE EFFECT OF THE FUNGAL TOXIN DESTRUXIN-E ON ISOLATED CRAYFISH HEMOCYTES

The peptide toxin destruxin E produced by the entomogenous fungus Metarhizium anisopliae was found to trigger degranulation of isolated haemocytes from the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus. The destruxin induced degranulation required the presence of calcium and was prevented by the anionchannel blocker SITS. These requirements are very similar for those earlier established by us in crayfish for the induction of the degranulation by an endogenous 76 kDa protein. Using a haemocyte lysate we found that neither β-1,3-glucan mediated activation of nor the activities of the prophenoloxidase system were affected by the destruxin. © 1990.