4. ANALYSIS O F FACTORS INVOLVED IN SYMBIOSIS
75
Eledone. CantacuzAne (1915) also reported the absence of agglutinins,
precipitins and hemolysins in the blood of Helix pomatia ; moreover,
he could not detect the occurrence of a natural complement. Chahovitch
(1921) has reported that neither natural nor acquired agglutinins can
be detected in the cephalopod Sepia ; likewise, acquired precipitins
cannot be detected. Similarly, Cantacuzene (1912) has reported that
natural complements cannot be detected in Sepia and Eledone.
C. virginica is bactericidal against certain bacteria but could not detect
specific agglutinins and precipitins. However, in a later abstract,
he (1958b) and Feng (1959) have found some indications of both
agglutinating and properdin-like properties in C. virginica plasma.
Continuing along this line of investigation, Tripp (1960, 1961a,b) has
further suggested the occurrence of innate humoral bactericidal factors
in C. virginica and Australorbis glabratus. These factors are believed
to be present since bacteria inoculated into these molluscs are rapidly
killed off extracellularly.
More recently, Tripp (1966), continuing his studies on oyster blood,
has reported that the " shell liquor" (mantle fluid), plasma, and
pericardial fluid of Crassostrea virginica will agglutinate erythrocytes
of the mouse, chicken, guinea-pig, cow, sheep, rabbit, horse and man.
I n the case of human blood cells, oyster fluids will agglutinate cells of
types A, B, AB, and 0, thus indicating a lack of specificity. Tripp has
noted that intracardially acquired plasma is more reactive than both
the pericardial and mantle fluids. This, as he has indicated, is because
these fluids represent plasma diluted with sea water. Tripp has also
shown that the agglutinin exerts an opsonic effect on rabbit erythrocytes in vitro and probably influences the rate of phagocytosis of
similar erythrocytes and their disposal when experimentally injected
into oysters. The agglutinin in C. virginica plasma is not dialyzable
and the hemagglutination titer is directly proportional to the protein
concentration. This proteinaceous agglutinin is also heat-labile, being
partially inactivated a t 60°C and totally inactivated after heating at
70°C or above.
The first attempt to characterize a naturally occurring humoral
factor in a mollusc was performed by Cheng and Sanders (1962). We
have found that the sera (plasma) of Viviparus malleatus includes a
naturally occurring hemagglutinin which is specific for rabbit erythrocytes among five types of vertebrate erythrocytes tested (Coturnix
quail, Rana pipiens, rat, mice and rabbit). Electrophoretic fractionations of pre- and post-rabbit erythrocyte-adsorbed sera have revealed
that the agglutinating property of the plasma is associated with all
I n recent years, Tripp (1958a) has reported that the blood of.
75
Eledone. CantacuzAne (1915) also reported the absence of agglutinins,
precipitins and hemolysins in the blood of Helix pomatia ; moreover,
he could not detect the occurrence of a natural complement. Chahovitch
(1921) has reported that neither natural nor acquired agglutinins can
be detected in the cephalopod Sepia ; likewise, acquired precipitins
cannot be detected. Similarly, Cantacuzene (1912) has reported that
natural complements cannot be detected in Sepia and Eledone.
C. virginica is bactericidal against certain bacteria but could not detect
specific agglutinins and precipitins. However, in a later abstract,
he (1958b) and Feng (1959) have found some indications of both
agglutinating and properdin-like properties in C. virginica plasma.
Continuing along this line of investigation, Tripp (1960, 1961a,b) has
further suggested the occurrence of innate humoral bactericidal factors
in C. virginica and Australorbis glabratus. These factors are believed
to be present since bacteria inoculated into these molluscs are rapidly
killed off extracellularly.
More recently, Tripp (1966), continuing his studies on oyster blood,
has reported that the " shell liquor" (mantle fluid), plasma, and
pericardial fluid of Crassostrea virginica will agglutinate erythrocytes
of the mouse, chicken, guinea-pig, cow, sheep, rabbit, horse and man.
I n the case of human blood cells, oyster fluids will agglutinate cells of
types A, B, AB, and 0, thus indicating a lack of specificity. Tripp has
noted that intracardially acquired plasma is more reactive than both
the pericardial and mantle fluids. This, as he has indicated, is because
these fluids represent plasma diluted with sea water. Tripp has also
shown that the agglutinin exerts an opsonic effect on rabbit erythrocytes in vitro and probably influences the rate of phagocytosis of
similar erythrocytes and their disposal when experimentally injected
into oysters. The agglutinin in C. virginica plasma is not dialyzable
and the hemagglutination titer is directly proportional to the protein
concentration. This proteinaceous agglutinin is also heat-labile, being
partially inactivated a t 60°C and totally inactivated after heating at
70°C or above.
The first attempt to characterize a naturally occurring humoral
factor in a mollusc was performed by Cheng and Sanders (1962). We
have found that the sera (plasma) of Viviparus malleatus includes a
naturally occurring hemagglutinin which is specific for rabbit erythrocytes among five types of vertebrate erythrocytes tested (Coturnix
quail, Rana pipiens, rat, mice and rabbit). Electrophoretic fractionations of pre- and post-rabbit erythrocyte-adsorbed sera have revealed
that the agglutinating property of the plasma is associated with all
I n recent years, Tripp (1958a) has reported that the blood of.