Typology haemocytes

Work package 5 (WP5) focusses on the cellular immunity of honey bees. Until now, haemocytes in the haemolymph have been characterized based on their morphological features, adherence, lectin binding properties, granularity and movement (De Graaf et al., 2002; Gábor et al., 2020). They are responsible for nodulation, encapsulation and phagocytosis (Strachecka et al., 2021). In Better-B we aim to differentiate between functional haemocyte types by developing a novel classification based on cell surface markers revealed by flow cytometry. This deliverable (D5.2) is the second of three deliverables for WP5 ‘Immune Resilience’. From the results of Task 5.1, which is a list of all the surface proteins present on haemocytes, nine proteins were chosen as targets for the development of monoclonal antibodies. With the use of these antibodies a protocol for flow cytometric examination is developed and a novel way to classify the haemocytes is established.