Surface charge of insect haemocytes, examined using cell electrophoresis and cationized ferritin-binding

Differences in the negative surface charge of haemocytes from Periplaneta americana and Schistocerca gregaria have been revealed using cell electrophoresis and cationized ferritin-binding. Although haemocyte populations from both insect species exhibit ranges of negative surface charge, both techniques show that Schistocerca haemocytes are significantly more negative than Periplaneta haemocytes. The results may help to explain why Schistocerca haemocytes adhere poorly to negative substrata, both in vitro and in vivo, and suggest that an electrostatic mechanism may be involved, at least in part, in adhesion of insect haemocytes to substrata.