Molecular characterization and bioactivity of a CXCL13 chemokine in large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea

A CXCL13-like chemokine cDNA was isolated from large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) by expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis (LycCXCL13). The full-length cDNA of LycCXCL13 is 796 nucleotides (nt) encoding a protein of 97 amino acids (aa), with a putative molecular weight of 10.7 kDa. The deduced LycCXCL13 contains a 24-aa signal peptide and a 73-aa mature polypeptide, which possesses the typical arrangement of four cysteines as found in other known CXC chemokines (C²⁵, C²⁷, C⁵² and C⁶⁸). It shares 35, 36 and 39% aa sequence identities to green puffer CXCL13-like, Atlantic salmon CXCL13 and Japanese flounder CXCL13 chemokines, and 24–29% identities to CXCL13 chemokines in mammals, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that LycCXCL13 is more closely related to the CXCL13 subgroup than to any other CXC chemokine subgroups. LycCXCL13 gene was constitutively expressed in all tissues examined, except for intestine. Upon induction with poly(I:C) or inactivated trivalent bacterial vaccine, LycCXCL13 gene expression was significantly up-regulated in spleen, head kidney, heart and gills at 24 h post-injection. Real-time PCR results showed that LycCXCL13 gene expression reached peak level in spleen and head kidney at 12 h after induction by poly(I:C), while its expression increased to the highest level in head kidney at 24 h or in spleen at 48 h by bacterial vaccine. Recombinant LycCXCL13 protein produced in E. coli BL21 exhibited obvious chemotaxis to the peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) from large yellow croaker. These results suggest that LycCXCL13 may be involved in inflammatory responses as well as homeostatic processes in large yellow croaker.     

Enhanced in vitro translation at reduced temperatures using a cold-shock RNA motif

Cell-free synthesis of recombinant proteins has emerged as an alternative method of protein production although protein yields still cannot compete with in vivo expression techniques. In systems based on S30 extracts of Escherichia coli unfavorable side-reactions are involved in limiting protein yields. Therefore, carrying out cell-free reactions at lower temperatures might be beneficial as side reactions should be decreased. In this study we show that by using the 5′-untranslated region of the cold-shock gene cspA from E. coli as mRNA leader in cell-free reactions, the expression temperature can be decreased and simultaneously leads to an increase in protein yields. A compensation for the lower activity of T7 RNA polymerase at lower temperatures enhances protein synthesis even further. Additionally, this 5′-untranslated region also standardizes the optimal expression temperature of different proteins.     

大黄鱼CCT基因的克隆及其表达量随稚鱼生长发育的变化

研究旨在克隆大黄鱼磷脂酰胆碱合成关键基因磷脂酰胆碱胞苷转移酶 (CCT)基因全长, 并检测其表达量随稚鱼生长发育的变化。利用同源克隆技术和RACE技术从大黄鱼肝脏中成功扩增出CCT的全长。同时应用real-time PCR法检测不同日龄大黄鱼稚鱼CCT的表达变化。序列分析表明, CCT全长2419 bp(Genbank登录号: KF006239.1), 包括273 bp 的5'端非编码区, 1107 bp的开放阅读框, 1010 bp的3'端非编码区,共编码369个氨基酸。系统进化树分析表明, 相比其他物种, 大黄鱼CCT基因与红鳍东方鲀的亲缘关系较近。定量结果表明, 孵化后, 大黄鱼仔稚鱼CCT的表达量随日龄的变化先显著升高, 在15日龄时达到最大值,随后显著下降并趋于平稳, CCT基因表达量的变化趋势与大黄鱼稚鱼消化系统的发育密切相关。     

Study of the Interaction between HP1 Family Proteins and Untranslated Regulatory Regions of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gypsy</Emphasis> Retrotransposons in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

In vitro interaction between recombinant protein paralogs (HP1a, HP1b, and HP1c) of the HP1 family and 5′-untranslated regulatory regions of the gypsy retrotransposon group in Drosophila melanogaster—gypsy, Springer, Tirant, ZAM, Rover, and 17.6—was studied. Using competitive DNA, the conditions that enable specific binding with a matrix were identified. It was found that HP1 family proteins efficiently bind to the 5′-untranslated regulatory region of retrotransposons with tandem repeats. It was found that repeats are absolutely necessary for HP1a to bind to the 5′-untranslated region of the Tirant and ZAM mobile genetic elements. The absence of repeats (ZAM) or the presence of fewer than two repeats (Tirant) makes such interaction impossible. Thus, the presence of tandem repeats in the 5′-untranslated region of the gypsy retrotransposons is an important tool for regulating their transposition by heterochromatin proteins.     

Characterization of myosin light chain gene up-regulated in the large yellow croaker immunity by interaction with RanGTPase

RanGTPases are highly conserved in eukaryotes from yeast to human and have been implicated in many aspects of nuclear structure and function. In our previous study, it was revealed that the RanGTPase was up-regulated in large yellow croaker challenged by pathogen. However, the mechanism of RanGTPase in immunity remains unclear. In this investigation, on the basis of protein interaction, it was found that RanGTPase interacted with myosin light chain (designated as LycMLC), a crucial protein in the process of phagocytosis. Furthermore, it was found and characterized in this marine fish for the first time. The full-length cDNA of LycMLC was 771 bp, including a 5′-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 36 bp, 3′-terminal UTR of 279 bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 456 bp encoding a polypeptide of 151 amino acids. RT-PCR analysis indicated that LycMLC gene was constitutively expressed in the 9 tissues examined, including kidney, liver, gill, muscle, spleen, skin, heart, intestine and blood. The result of quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed the highest expression in muscle and the weakest expression in skin. Time course analysis showed that LycMLC expression was obviously up-regulated in blood after immunization with either poly I:C or formalin-inactive Gram-negative bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus. It indicated that the highest expression was 4.5 times (at 24 h) as much as that in the control (P < 0.05) challenged by poly I:C and 5.0 times (at 24 h) challenged by bacteria. These results suggested that LycMLC might play an important role in large yellow croaker defense against the pathogen infection. Therefore our study revealed a novel pathway concerning immunity of RanGTPase by the direct interaction with the cytoskeleton protein, which would help to better understand the molecular events in immune response against pathogen infection in fish.     

大黄鱼TRIM25基因克隆和表达分析

三重基序蛋白25 (Tripartite motif-containing protein 25, TRIM25)属于E3泛素连接酶家族, 在先天免疫反应中发挥重要作用。为研究TRIM25基因在大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea)先天抗病毒免疫反应中的作用, 研究鉴定并克隆大黄鱼TRIM25基因(命名为LcTRIM25)。LcTRIM25基因编码序列2097 bp (GenBank登录号: MK327541), 编码698个氨基酸。蛋白结构域预测发现LcTRIM25包括保守的RING结构域、B-box2结构域、Coiled-coil结构域和可变的C末端PRY/SPRY结构域。多序列比对以及系统进化树分析表明LcTRIM25基因与斜带石斑鱼同源性高, 与哺乳动物、爬行动物、两栖动物和鸟类同源性相对低, 这说明不同物种受到来自环境不同的选择压力, 导致进化程度不同。应用实时荧光定量PCR方法分析大黄鱼TRIM25基因的表达水平。结果分析发现LcTRIM25基因在健康大黄鱼的9个组织中均有广泛表达, 且在肝脏中表达量最高, 在心脏中表达量最低。在poly(I:C)刺激后, 在外周血、头肾、脾脏和肝脏中LcTRIM25基因表达量迅速且明显上调, 均出现上升达到峰值后下降的趋势。LcTRIM25基因表达量在头肾和脾脏中6h达到最高表达量, 在肝脏中12h达到峰值, 外周血中在24h达到最高表达量。上述结果表明, 不同组织中LcTRIM25基因表达模式具有差异性。研究结果推测大黄鱼TRIM25基因参与抗病毒免疫反应且发挥十分关键的作用, 为进一步了解大黄鱼抗病毒免疫机制提供理论基础。     

Lack of genetic structure in endangered large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea from China inferred from mitochondrial control region sequence data

The large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea is an important commercial marine fish species in China. However, information about the population structure of this species is limited. In the present study, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was sequenced from four populations of the yellow croaker in the southern Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea to investigate the genetic structure of this species. A total of 54 haplotypes were detected among 62 individuals of large yellow croaker. High levels of population genetic diversity were observed. Among the four populations, the haplotype diversity was between 0.9895 ± 0.0193 (Xiamen) and 1.0000 ± 0.0524 (Lvsi, Zhoushan). The nucleotide diversity ranged from 0.0208 ± 0.0108 (Xuwen) to 0.0246 ± 0.0138 (Lvsi). The results of AMOVA detected no significant differences among populations. The conventional F_ST statistics were negative and insignificant values. These indicated lack of population genetic structure throughout the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea, and random mixing of individuals among the samples. Biological characters of large yellow croaker and lack of physical barrier in the studied area could be the reasons for lack of genetic structure in this species.     

Cloning and analysis of a cDNA encoding a two-domain hemoglobin chain from the water flea Daphnia magna

A cDNA encoding a two-domain hemoglobin (Hb) chain of Daphnia magna was cloned and its nucleotide (nt) sequence of 1261 bp was determined. The nt sequence contained 74 bp of the leader sequence, 1047 bp of an open reading frame (ORF), and 119 bp of the 3′-untranslated region (UTR), excluding the polyadenylation tail. A sequence, AATACA, located 24 bp upstream from the polyA sequence was considered to be a polyadenylation signal. cDNA-derived amino acid (aa) sequence revealed that D. magna Hb chain is synthesized as a secretory precursor with a signal peptide of 18 aa. Mature D. magna Hb chain consists of 330-aa residues with a calculated molecular weight of 36 227, which is composed of two large repeated domains, domain 1 and 2. Several key aa that are invariant in all or most of other Hb and required for functional heme-binding are conserved in each of the two domains. The N-terminal extension (pre-A segment) of domain 1 was unusually long and contained an unusual threonine-rich sequence. The homology between the aa sequences of the two domains (24% identity) was much lower than that observed in other two-domain Hb chains from clams or nematode. Hb mRNA level in D. magna reared under low oxygen concentration was more than 12 times higher than that in D. magna reared with sufficient aeration, indicating that the expression of Hb gene is regulated by mRNA level.     

Cloning, mRNA expression, and recombinant expression of peptidoglycan recognition protein II gene from large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea)

Peptidoglycan recognition protein II (pglyrp2) is a type of pattern recognition receptor (PRR) that has amidase activity and is structurally conserved through evolution. However, their contributions in immune defense are different between mammal pglyrp2 and its counterpart in insects. Hitherto, fish pglyrp2 was poorly known in its structure, expression pattern and its contribution in immune defense. In present study, the pglyrp2 gene of the large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) was cloned by RACE approach; the full-length cDNA (1842 bp) of pglyrp2 of P. crocea contains a 1446 bp open reading frame that encodes a putative protein of 482 amino acids (aa) with one 21-residue signal peptide. The pglyrp2 fusion protein and mature peptide fusion protein of P. crocea expressed by pET28a vector in the insoluble inclusion bodies (IBs) of Escherichia coli BL21 were confirmed by SDS-PAGE and subsequently purified to homogeneity by Ni-NTA agarose affinity chromatography. In addition, quantitative Real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) assays indicated that large yellow croaker pglyrp2 could be strongly expressed in liver and weakly in gonad, intestine, and stomach. Also, maternally derived pglyrp2 mRNA displayed a high level in unfertilized eggs and low expression throughout embryogenesis and yolk-sac larvae stage. Moreover, as shown in an artificial infection model, the pglyrp2 of P. crocea was confirmed to be a constitutive and inducible acute-phase protein, inducibility of which correlated with activation of anti-oxidant defense response. Thus, pglyrp2 of P. crocea was believed to play an important role in defending the eggs, bacteria recognition and activation of downstream host immune defense.