Background
The larval stage of the model organism Drosophila is frequently used to study host-pathogen interactions. During embryogenesis the cellular arm of the immune response, consisting of macrophage-like cells known as plasmatocytes, is extremely motile and functions to phagocytise pathogens and apoptotic bodies, as well as produce extracellular matrix. The cellular branch of the larval (post-embryonic) innate immune system consists of three cell types--plasmatocytes, crystal cells and lamellocytes--which are involved in the phagocytosis, encapsulation and melanisation of invading pathogens. Post-embryonic haemocyte motility is poorly understood thus further characterisation is required, for the
Significance
The ex vivo method allows for real-time analysis and manipulation of primary post-embryonic haemocytes. This technique was used to characterise, and potentially standardised, larval and pre-pupal haemocyte cytoskeleton dynamics, assayed on different extracellular matrices. Using this method it was determined that, while larval haemocytes are unable to migrate, haemocytes recovered from pre-pupae are capable of migration.