Reactions of hemocytes of immune and non-immune Galleria mellonella larvae to Proteus mirabilis.

Immune larval Galleria mellonella removed live Proteus mirabilis from the hemolymph less effectively than did non-immune larvae. This was attributed to a decline in total hemocyte counts, levels of plasmatocytes and granulocytes and hemocyte adhesion capacity. Immune serum possessed factors which reduced bacterial adhesion to the hemocytes. This was not due to altering bacterial surfaces but rather to irreversible suppression of hemocyte activity.