Insect blood cells, hemocytes, inhibit spreading behavior upon bacterial challenge to perform cellular immune responses. Hemocyte spreading is accomplished by cytoskeleton rearrangement, which is activated by various immune mediators, such as biogenic monoamins, plasmatocyte-spreading peptide(psp), and eicosanoids. However, little is known how these, immune mediators. acitvate hemocyte spreading behavior. A small G protein, Rac1, gene was identified in hemocytes of Spodoptera exiqua. Its expressed in most developmental stages accept egg and expecially expresses in hemocytes and fat body of Larval stage. In response to bacterial challenge, its expression was segnificantly up-regulated. However, RNA inteference (RNAi) of Rac1 expression inhibited hemocyte spreading behavior. under RNAi condition of Rac1, octopamine and psp failed to activate hemocyte spreading behavior. Interestingly, as addition of prostaglandinE2 to the RNAiconditioned Larval rescued the mediation of octopamine and psp. These results indicate that Rac1 is required for mediation of octopamine and psp on hemocytespreading behavior and suggest that Rac1 may activate eicosanoid biosnthesis.

• Jiyeong Park(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong National University)
• Yonggyun Kim(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong National University)