Adherence of Earthworm Coelomic Cells

Earthworms have a mobile cell population in the coelomic cavity which mediates several defenses against bacterial invasion. One of the defenses is phagocytosis, ingesting and degradation of foreign material. The first step in phagocytosis is adherence of the phagocytic cell to the foreign material. Adherence can be measured through the binding of cells to plastic surfaces. An assay was developed to determine the adherence capabilities of the cells on plastics. Proteins released following inflammatory signals may assist the binding. For this project, coelomic cells were collected from earthworms and placed in plastic wells. After a 20 min to 1 hour incubation, the wells are washed and adhered cells counted. Prior to addition of cells to the wells the wells, were treated with coelomic fluid from worm stimulated with the bacterium Micrococcus luteus, or coelomic fluid from unstimulated worms. Data will be presented on the adherent properties of the coelomic cells