Participation of Sarcophaga peregrina humoral lectin in the lysis of sheep red blood cells injected into the abdominal cavity of larvae.

Sarcophaga lectin which is induced in the hemolymph of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh-fly) larvae when their body wall is injured with a hypodermic needle, was shown to participate in the lysis of sheep red blood cells introduced into the abdominal cavity of the larvae. This finding indicates that humoral lectin plays a role in the defence mechanism of invertebrates. The lysis of sheep red blood cells was enhanced greatly by preinjection of red blood cells, but less by preinjection of other cells. Thus the defence mechanism of this insect seems to be able to distinguish red blood cells from other cells.