Administration of non-toxic concentrations (10 mM) of cytochalasin b and nocodazole to larvae of Galleria mellonella increased their
susceptibility to infection by the yeast Candida albicans. These agents were found to inhibit the process of phagocytosis and to reduce the killing
ability of haemocytes. In addition, both cytochalasin b and nocodazole reduced the release of antimicrobial peptides (e.g. apolipophorin 3) and
enzymes (e.g. serine protease) from PMA stimulated haemocytes. Rhodamine coupled phalloidin staining revealed reduced F-actin formation in
haemocytes treated with nocodazole or cytochalasin b. By disrupting the formation of F-actin cytochalasin b and nocodazole have the ability to
retard the function of haemocytes, in the same manner as they affect mammalian neutrophils, and thus increase the susceptibility of larvae to
infection. The results presented here demonstrate that haemocytes are sensitive to inhibition by nocodazole and cytochalasin b, in a similar
manner to neutrophils, thus highlighting another similarity between both cell types and so increasing the attractiveness of using insects as
alternative models to the use of mammals for in vivo pathogen or drug screening
