In vivo administration of LPS and β-glucan generates the expression of a serum lectin and its cellular receptor in Cherax quadricarinatus.

In crustaceans, it has been suggested that specific protection against pathogens could be triggered by vaccines and biological response modifiers; although the specific mechanisms of this protection have not been clarified yet. In the crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus, a humoral lectin (CqL) binds its own granular hemocytes through a specific receptor (CqLR) and increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study, we challenged in vivo crayfishes with immunostimulants, β-glucan (200 μg/kg) or LPS (20 μg/kg), and identified the participation of cellular and humoral mechanisms.