Effect of splenectomy on the immune response in the lizard, Calotes versicolor

After removal of the spleen, the EidechseCalotes versicolor can no longer respond to Immunizierung with sheep erythrocytes. If the spleen is removed, but only in part, is still a perfectly normal reaction exists

Lymphoid differentiation and organization of the spleen in the lizard, Calotes versicolor

In Calotes versicolor, splenic primordium appears at stage 30 as a protuberance of mesenchymal cells from the dorsal mesentery. Lymphopoiesis is initiated at stage 40, followed by an increase in the lymphoid population of the rudiment during the successive stages of development. In the adult, splenic pulp is poorly demarcated into white pulp and red pulp. The former is in the form of closely arranged lymphoid follicles and the latter is highly restricted to narrow strands of blood spaces. A comparative study on the lymphoid organization of the spleen of a few other species of reptiles was also carried out

Immunological competence in the newly hatched lizard, Calotes versicolor

Studies are reported on the ability of the hatchling of the lizard Calotes versicolor to engage in immunological reactions. The experiments demonstrate that even within the first 24 hr after hatching the lizard is able to mount an immune reaction against sheep red blood cells, in a manner not readily distinguished from adult animals

Analysis of the development of the lizard, Calotes versicolor. I. A series of normal stages in the embryonic development

It has been shown that the external parameters of eggs of the garden lizard, Calotes versicolor, are not suitable for assessing the exact developmental stages of embryos. In order to make use of this lizard's embryos for experimental work, a series of developmental stages has been characterized, using various morphological features

Phagocytic B cells in a reptile

Evidence for a developmental relationship between B cells and macrophages has led to the hypothesis that B cells evolved from a phagocytic predecessor. The recent identification of phagocytic IgM+ cells in fishes and amphibians supports this hypothesis, but raises the question of when, evolutionarily, was phagocytic capacity lost in B cells? To address this, leucocytes were isolated from red-eared sliders, Trachemys scripta, incubated with fluorescent beads and analysed using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Results indicate that red-eared slider B cells are able to ingest foreign particles and suggest that ectothermic vertebrates may use phagocytic B cells as part of a robust innate immune response