Dissociation of Sarcophaga peregrina (flesh fly) fat body by pupal haemocytes in vitro

In holometabolous insects, some larval tissues are destroyed during metamorphosis, but the mechanism of their breakdown is unknown. Using pupal haemocytes and the fat body of Sarcophaga peregrina, we established an in vitro system that mimics dissociation of the fat body in vivo. The dissociation in vitro required Ca²⁺ and direct interaction of the haemocytes with the fat body. New membrane proteins, including a protein of 200 kDa, were shown to be induced on the surface of the haemocytes at pupation. An antibody against these proteins inhibited dissociation of the fat body, suggesting that these proteins participate in the recognition of the basement membrane of the fat body.