Extracellular traps (ETosis) can be activated through NADPH-dependent and -independent mechanisms in bivalve mollusks

Abstract

In mammals, NETosis is a process in which the activation of neutrophils induces the release of chromatin. This DNA prevents the spread of infection by trapping, neutralizing and killing microorganisms during their interaction with antimicrobial proteins. The release of NETs is usually triggered by stimuli that promote reactive oxygen species production. Although this release of extracellular traps (ETs) has been described in some groups of invertebrates, there is a lack of basic information about them in these animals. In the present study, we describe a robust and reproducible model for the induction, analysis and quantification of ETs production using hemocytes from the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis. We analyzed the structure of ETs and the involvement of the ROS in the activation of this process. It was demonstrated that the formation of ETs in hemocytes can be triggered through NOX-dependent and NOX-independent pathways, depending on the stimuli used.

Keywords: ETosis; Mitochondrial ROS; Mussel; NOX-Dependent ETosis; UV light.