Cloning of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus CD3 cDNA and gene, and analysis of its expression

Two distinct CD3 homologue cDNAs, CD3-1 and CD3-2, were isolated from a Japanese flounder leukocyte cDNA library. CD3-1 consisted of 961 bp encoding 178 amino acid residues, and CD3-2 consisted of 927 bp encoding 182 amino acid residues. The two deduced amino acid sequences had an identity of 95.1%, and neither had N-linked glycosylation sites. The identities between the Japanese flounder CD3s and previously reported CD3s (CD3 epsilon, CD3 gamma, or CD3 delta) of Xenopus laevis, chicken, and various mammals were approximately 25%. The Japanese flounder CD3s had an extracellular domain, a CXXCXE motif, and an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM), each of which are important characteristics of CD3 chains. Furthermore, the positions of four cysteine residues in the extracellular domain were preserved in both of the Japanese flounder CD3s. A phylogenetic tree based on the amino acid sequences confirmed that the Japanese flounder CD3s are closer to CD3 epsilon than to CD3 gamma and CD3 delta. However, the gene structure of Japanese flounder CD3 is identical to the chicken and Xenopus CD3 gamma/delta genes and the mammalian CD3 delta gene. Southern blot hybridization and the DNA sequence of the CD3 gene of homocloned Japanese flounder indicated that the CD3 gene exists as a single copy. Southern blot hybridization also showed the presence of a polymorphic variant of Japanese flounder CD3. An RT-PCR analysis detected Japanese flounder CD3 mRNA in several organs that contained lymphocytes. The proportion of CD3-positive cells in the peripheral blood leukocytes was 34.9%.     

七鳃鳗g型溶菌酶的分子特征和抗菌活性

溶菌酶是先天免疫系统中对抗细菌病原体感染的一种关键蛋白．本研究从七鳃鳗中克隆g型溶菌酶基因. 其酶基因cDNA为701 bp（GenBank 序列号KP204854）,开放阅读框为555 bp,编码由184个氨基酸组成的多肽,理论分子质量为20.24 kD,等电点为5.48,含有1个半胱氨酸残基,无信号肽．实时荧光定量PCR分析表明,七鳃鳗g型溶菌酶基因在各组织中广泛表达,其中在肠中表达量最高．脂多糖（LPS）体内刺激七鳃鳗后发现,溶菌酶在口腔腺和头肾表达量显著升高．以溶壁微球菌和哈维弧菌为底物检测重组g型溶菌酶的活性时,均表现出抗菌活性,最适pH为7.5,最适温度为35℃．扫描电镜分析表明,重组酶能够使溶壁微球菌破裂．以上结果均表明,g型溶菌酶在七鳃鳗的先天免疫系统防御病菌感染中起到重要作用．     

A pore-forming protein,perforin, from a non-mammalian organism,Japanese flounder,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Paralichthys olivaceus</Emphasis>

A perforin cDNA of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, was cloned from a cDNA library of kidney stimulated with ConA/PMA. The full-length cDNA is 2,157 bp, which encodes 587 amino acids. The Japanese flounder perforin gene consists of five exons and four introns, with a length of approximately 3 kb. The amino acid sequence of the Japanese flounder perforin is 36% identical to that of rat perforin and 37% identical to amino acid sequences of mouse and human perforin. The Japanese flounder perforin also showed low homology to human and mouse complement components (C6, C7, C8 and C9), ranging from 19% to 24%. However, the membrane attack complex/perforin domain is conserved. A phylogenetic analysis placed the Japanese flounder perforin in the same cluster with other known mammalian perforins. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the perforin gene was expressed in the peripheral blood leukocytes, head kidney, trunk kidney, spleen, heart, gill and intestine of healthy fish. Recombinant perforin produced in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system showed calcium-dependent hemolytic activity.     

Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression of TNF cDNA and gene from Japanese flounder Paralychthys olivaceus

We cloned a cDNA and the gene for Japanese flounder TNF. The TNF cDNA consisted of 1217 bp, which encoded 225 amino acid residues. The identities between Japanese flounder TNF and members of the mammalian TNF family were approximately 20-30%. The positions of cysteine residues that are important for disulfide bonds were conserved with respect to those in mammalian TNF-alpha. The Japanese flounder TNF gene has a length of approximately 2 kbp and consists of four exons and three introns. The positions of the exon-intron junction positions of Japanese flounder TNF gene are similar to those of human TNF-alpha. However, the length of the first intron of Japanese flounder is much shorter than that of the human TNF-alpha gene. There are simple CA or AT dinucleotide repeats in the 5'-upstream and 3'-downstream regions of the Japanese flounder TNF gene. Southern blot hybridization indicted that Japanese flounder TNF exists as a single copy. Expression of Japanese flounder TNF mRNA is greatly induced after stimulation of PBLs with LPS, Con A, or PMA. These results indicated that Japanese flounder TNF is more like mammalian TNF-alpha than mammalian lymphotoxin-alpha, with respect to its gene structure, length of amino acid sequence, number and position of cysteine residues, and regulation of gene expression.     

日本鳗鲡的C-型和G-型溶菌酶研究

研究以日本鳗鲡(Anguilla japonica Temminck et Schlegel)为研究对象, 根据其基因组数据库, 预测并扩增出2类, 共5个溶菌酶基因, 包括1个C-型溶菌酶和4个G-型溶菌酶, 分别命名为AJLysC、AJLysG1、AJLysG2、AJLysG3和AJLysG4。它们的cDNA全长分别为811、749、1352、1175和733 bp, 编码143、193、185、185和187个氨基酸。SignalP预测表明, AJLysC和AJLysG1的N-端分别包括15和19氨基酸的信号肽, 另外3种溶菌酶没有信号肽。基因组分析显示, AJLysC、AJLysG2、AJLysG3和AJLysG4的基因结构与其他鱼类的同类溶菌酶的基因结构相似, C-型溶菌酶具有4个外显子, G-型则具有5个。但是, AJLysG1的基因结构与其他鱼类G-型溶菌酶不同, 具有6个外显子, 与其他鱼类溶菌酶的蛋白序列比较, 发现AJLysG1缺失其他G-型溶菌酶存在的第2个酶活性位点氨基酸, 即天冬氨酸Asp。AJLysC与其他很多物种的C-型溶菌酶具有较高的同一性, 如与牙鲆的同一性为72.7%。G-型溶菌酶中AJLysG2、AJLysG3、AJLysG4彼此之间以及与其他物种G-型溶菌酶的同一性相对较高; 而AJLysG1与其他物种以及与其他3种G-型溶菌酶的同一性均不高, 且都在50%以下。组织表达分析显示, 所有5个溶菌酶基因在12种检测的组织中均有表达。C-型溶菌酶在胃及免疫相关组织的表达量较高; G-型溶菌酶在各组织/器官中的表达则差异较大, AJLysG1在皮肤和肌肉中的表达量最高, AJLysG2在免疫组织/器官如血液、头肾、体肾和鳃中表达量较高。经迟缓爱德华氏菌(Edwardsiella tarda)刺激48h后, 这5个溶菌酶基因在组织/器官中的表达量均有上调, 其中在血液、肠道和头肾等的上调较为显著。此外, 研究尝试重组表达这些抗菌肽, 获得了AJLysG2、AJLysG3和AJLysG4基因在鲤上皮瘤细胞(Epithelioma papulosum cyprinid, EPC)细胞中的表达, 重组蛋白表现出对溶壁微球菌(Micrococcus lyso-deikticus)生长的明显抑制作用。文章较全面地研究了日本鳗鲡溶菌酶基因的组成和类型及其表达变化, 并重组表达了部分基因, 这为进一步研究这些溶菌酶的功能, 特别是对病原微生物的作用奠定了基础。     

Transgenic Zebrafish Expressing Chicken Lysozyme Show Resistance against Bacterial Diseases

We established a transgenic zebrafish strain expressing chicken lysozyme gene under the control of the Japanese flounder keratin gene promoter, and investigated its resistance to a pathogenic bacterial infection. To generate the lysozyme transgenic construct, Japanese flounder keratin promoter was linked to both the hen egg white (HEW) lyoszyme gene and green fluorescence protein (GFP) gene used as a selection marker for the transgenic strains, in a recombinant plasmid. The recombinant plasmid was microinjected into fertilized zebrafish eggs. In F2 transgenic zebrafish, GFP expression was strong in the epithelial tissues, liver and gill from the embryonic stage to the adult stage. The expressions of HEW lysozyme and GFP mRNA were confirmed in the liver and skin by RT-PCR. Western blot analysis showed that both HEW lysozyme and GFP were present in protein extracts from the liver of transgenic zebrafish, but not in protein extracts from the muscle. The lytic activity of protein extracts from the liver (assessed by a lysoplate assay using Micrococcus lysodeikticus as a substrate) was 1.75 times higher in F2 transgenic zebrafish than in the wild type. In a challenge experiment, 65% of the F2 transgenic fish survived an infection of Flavobacterium columnare and 60% survived an infection of Edwardsiella tarda, whereas 100% of the control fish were killed by both pathogens. However, the survival rates of the transgenic fish were not significantly higher when higher concentrations of bacteria were used.     

Cloning of the genes for the pituitary glycoprotein hormone alpha and follicle-stimulating hormone beta subunits in the Japanese crested ibis,Nipponia nippon

We have isolated a part of the gene for the pituitary glycoprotein hormone common alpha subunit (PGHalpha) and the whole gene for the follicle-stimulating hormone beta subunit (FSHbeta) in the Japanese crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), a critically endangered bird species in East Asia. The nucleotide sequence of a part of the PGHalpha gene (5026 bp) contained three exons holding the whole coding and 3' untranslated regions, but lacked a 5' untranslated region. Its exon-intron structure was similar to that in mammals, but different from that in teleosts in the location of the second intron. For the FSHbeta gene, the nucleotide sequence of 7633 bp was assembled from two phage clones. The exon-intron structure of three exons and two introns was similar to that observed in mammals and teleosts. In the putative promoter region of the ibis FSHbeta gene, a progesterone responsive element (PRE)-like sequence and two AP-1 responsive element-like sequences reported in the ovine FSHbeta gene were not conserved in complete form. The increased number of ATTTA motifs in the putative 3' untranslated region in comparison with those in Japanese quail and chicken FSHbeta cDNA suggested that more rapid degradation of FSHbeta mRNA occurs in this species. Deduced amino acid sequences of the ibis PGHalpha and FSHbeta showed high similarities with those of the corresponding subunits of other avian species. This is the first report on the genomic sequences of the PGHalpha and FSHbeta in an avian species.     

Molecular cloning of stanniocalcin 1 and its extracorpuscular regulation by salinity and Ca2+ in the Japanese flounder

Stanniocalcin 1 (Stc1) was originally identified as an anti-hypercalcemic hormone produced by the corpuscles of Stannius (CS) associated with the kidney in teleosts. While the stc1 gene is expressed in various tissues in fishes, its role and regulation in extra-CS tissues are unexplored. In the present study, we characterized a cDNA of stc1 in a euryhaline fish, the Japanese flounder (Paralichyhus olivaceus), and examined its expression in peripheral tissues in response to different salinities and Ca2+ ion concentrations. The Japanese flounder stc1 cDNA (1331 bp) encodes a preprohormone of 251 amino acids (aa), with a signal peptide of 17 aa and a pro-sequence peptide of 15 aa followed by the mature protein of 219 aa. The deduced aa sequence of Japanese flounder stc1 showed highest sequence identity (94.0%) with the European flounder Stc1 among fish and mammalian species, but lower identity to zebrafish, pufferfish, and human STC2 (23.1-25.4%). Lowered environmental salinity resulted in a decrease in stc1 mRNA expression in vivo in the gills, kidney, intestine, and CS glands of the Japanese flounder. Furthermore, we found that extracellular Ca2+ increased steady-state stc1 mRNA levels in gill and kidney cells as well as in the CS cells. Our findings suggest that Stc1 synthesis in the ionregulatory tissues is responsive to environmental salinity and Ca2+ level.     

Characterization of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) NK-lysin, an antimicrobial peptide

The NK-lysin cDNA of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, consists of 657bp, containing an open reading frame (ORF) of 444bp, which encodes 147 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of Japanese flounder NK-lysin has 21% identity to porcine NK-lysin and bovine NK-lysin, 23% to equine NK-lysin, and 46% to zebrafish NK-lysin-like protein. Multiple alignments of Japanese flounder NK-lysin and other known saposin-like proteins revealed that the six cysteine residues important for structural folding are completely conserved. The Japanese flounder NK-lysin gene is approximately 2kb and consists of five exons and four introns. Japanese flounder NK-lysin mRNA constitutive expression was mainly detected in gills, heart, head kidney, intestines, peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), spleen and trunk kidney, and was detected at low levels in liver, muscle and ovary. However, expression was not detected in brain, skin and stomach of apparently healthy Japanese flounder. Gene expression of Japanese flounder NK-lysin was not inducible by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. A synthesized NK-lysin peptide, consisting of 27 amino acid residues, showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida.     

Molecular cloning, expression, and functional analysis of caspase-10 from Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

We isolated and sequenced caspase-10 cDNA and gene from Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The Japanese flounder (JF)-caspase-10 cDNA consisted of 2282 bp and encoded 495 amino acid residues. The characteristic death effector domains (DEDs) of caspases were observed in JF-caspase-10 as well as the three aspartic acid residues (D-186, -382 and -392), which are potential cleavage sites for the large and small subunit structures. The amino acid residue (His-325) and pentapeptide (QACQG), which are involved in catalytic activity, were absolutely conserved in Japanese flounder-caspase-10. JF-caspase-10 gene has a length of 6.6 kb and consists of 11 exons and 10 introns similar to that of human. The strong expression of JF-caspase-10 mRNA was detected in the gills, peripheral blood leukocytes, spleen and posterior kidney, while the weak expression was observed in the head kidney, heart, intestine, skin and stomach. The over-expression analysis of JF-caspase-10 in Japanese flounder cell line HINAE was shown to induce apoptosis 24h post-transfection using TUNEL assay.     

Cloning and characterisation of a cDNA encoding Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus IgD

A cDNA containing the gene for Japanese flounder IgD consisted of 3240 bp encoding 998 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of the constant region of Japanese flounder IgD shares 38-80% identity with the sequences of previously reported teleost IgDs. The structure of the constant region of Japanese flounder IgD, which contains the micro1, delta1, delta2, delta3, delta4, delta5, delta6, delta7, and TM regions, is similar to the structures of the constant regions of the IgDs of channel catfish and Atlantic salmon. Southern blot hybridisation showed that the Japanese flounder IgD gene exists as a single locus. The Japanese flounder IgD gene was mainly detected in peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) and small amounts were detected in the spleen, head and trunk kidney, although IgM mRNA was detected in similar amounts in PBLs, the head kidney, and spleen. The copy number of IgM mRNA in Japanese flounder PBL was 56-fold higher than that of IgD.