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Coagulation, also known as clotting, is the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot. It potentially results in hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, followed by repair. The mechanism of coagulation involves activation, adhesion and aggregation of platelets, as well as deposition and maturation of fibrin.
Amplexus is a type of mating behavior exhibited by some externally fertilizing species in which a male grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process, and at the same time or with some time delay, he fertilizes the eggs, as they are released from the female's body. In amphibians, females may be grasped by the head, waist, or armpits, and the type of amplexus is characteristic of some taxonomic groups.
The Atlantic horseshoe crab, also known as the American horseshoe crab, is a species of horseshoe crab, a kind of marine and brackish chelicerate arthropod. It is found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of North America. The main area of annual migration is Delaware Bay along the South Jersey Delaware Bayshore.
Horseshoe crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae and the only living members of the order Xiphosura. Despite their name, they are not true crabs or crustaceans: they are chelicerates, most closely related to arachnids such as spiders, ticks, and scorpions.
Xiphosura is an order of arthropods related to arachnids. They are more commonly known as horseshoe crabs. They first appeared in the Hirnantian. Currently, there are only four living species. Xiphosura contains one suborder, Xiphosurida, and several stem-genera.
Limulus is a genus of horseshoe crab, with one extant species, the Atlantic horseshoe crab. One fossil species is currently assigned to the genus though several other species have been named, which have since been assigned to other genera.
Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) is an aqueous extract of blood cells (amoebocytes) from the Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus. LAL reacts with bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a membrane component of gram-negative bacteria. This reaction is the basis of the LAL test, which is widely used for the detection and quantification of bacterial endotoxins.
The mangrove horseshoe crab, also known as the round-tailed horseshoe crab, is a species of horseshoe crab, a chelicerate arthropod found in tropical marine and brackish waters of India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia. It may also occur in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Philippines, but confirmed records are lacking. It is the only species in the genus Carcinoscorpius.
Tachypleus is a genus of south, southeast and east Asian horseshoe crabs in the family Limulidae.
Tachypleus tridentatus, commonly known as the Chinese horseshoe crab, Japanese horseshoe crab, or tri-spine horseshoe crab, is a species of horseshoe crab found in Southeast and East Asia, with records from China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It is found in coastal marine and brackish waters, and tolerates colder temperatures than the other Asian horseshoe crabs, although juveniles still need water warmer than 22 °C (72 °F) to moult.
An amebocyte or amoebocyte is a mobile cell in the body of invertebrates including cnidaria, echinoderms, molluscs, tunicates, sponges and some chelicerates. They move by pseudopodia. Similarly to some of the white blood cells of vertebrates, in many species amebocytes are found in the blood or body fluid and play a role in the defense of the organism against pathogens. Depending on the species, an amebocyte may also digest and distribute food, dispose of wastes, form skeletal fibers, fight infections, and change into other cell types.
Tachypleus gigas, commonly known as the Indo-Pacific horseshoe crab, Indonesian horseshoe crab, Indian horseshoe crab, or southern horseshoe crab, is one of the four extant (living) species of horseshoe crab. It is found in coastal water in South and Southeast Asia at depths to 40 m (130 ft).
Coagulin is a gel-forming protein of hemolymph that hinders the spread of invaders by immobilising them. It is produced in the coagulogen form before being cleaved into the active form. In human medicine, coagulation of coagulin is the basis of detection of bacterial endotoxin in the LAL test for parenteral medications.
Limulus clotting factor overbar C is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Limulus clotting enzyme is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Snake venom factor V activator is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Russellysin is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Tachyplesin is an antimicrobial peptide isolated from the horseshoe crab with a molecular weight of 2.36 kDa and the amino acid sequence KWCFRVCYRGICYRRCR.
Frederik Barry Bang (1916–1981) was an American medical researcher who developed the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test for bacterial endotoxins. He was influential in applying marine biology to medical research, especially immunology.
H. Jane Brockmann is an emeritus professor at the University of Florida known for her research on animal behavior, especially in the mating and nesting behavior of horseshoe crabs. In 2008, she was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
References
- ↑ Nakamura T, Horiuchi T, Morita T, Iwanaga S (March 1986). "Purification and properties of intracellular clotting factor, factor B, from horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) hemocytes". Journal of Biochemistry. 99 (3): 847–57. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a135545. PMID 3519594.
- ↑ Iwanaga, S (May 2007). "Biochemical principle of Limulus test for detecting bacterial endotoxins". Proceedings of the Japan Academy. Series B, Physical and Biological Sciences. 83 (4): 110–9. Bibcode:2007PJAB...83..110I. doi:10.2183/pjab.83.110. PMC 3756735 . PMID 24019589.
