Fig 6. A schematic presentation of the function of Edin.

(1.) Edin is induced in the fat body shortly after wasp infection and secreted into the hemolymph. There, Edin directly or indirectly induces the release of plasmatocytes from the sessile hemocyte compartment. These cells go into circulation, find the wasp egg and participate in forming the capsule around the parasitoid egg. (2.) If the expression of edin is knocked down in the fat body in the context of a wasp infection, plasmatocytes are retained in the sessile compartment instead of being released into circulation, causing a defect in the encapsulation of the wasp egg.