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Updated: May 17, 2026

Blood Collection from the American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus
Published on: October 13, 2008
Molecular mechanisms of the shrimp clotting system
Mary Beth B Maningas1, Hidehiro Kondo, Ikuo Hirono
1Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan 4-5-7, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan.
Abstract:
Shrimp, like other invertebrates, relies solely on its innate immune system, to combat invading pathogens. The invertebrate immune system has ancient origins that involve cellular and humoral responses. The clotting system of the humoral immune response is the first line of defense against pathogens and also serves to prevent blood loss during injury and wound healing. Tranglutaminase and clotting protein are molecules involved in the blood clotting system of crayfish and shrimp. Studies have shown that the shrimp clotting system is linked with the activation of antimicrobial peptides, similar to that of the horseshoe crab. Unlike the horseshoe crab and crayfish blood coagulation which are well studied systems, blood clotting in shrimp remains poorly understood. Here we review the shrimp clotting system and its involvement in innate immunity.
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