Two hepcidin-like antimicrobial peptides in Barramundi Lates calcarifer exhibit differing tissue tropism and are induced in response to lipopolysaccharide

Genes encoding two hepcidin-like antimicrobial peptides were discovered in Barramundi, Lates calcarifer (barramundi, Giant sea perch). Analysis of the coding regions indicated that genes for each hepcidin comprised 3 exons and 2 introns. The deduced amino acid sequences for each molecule resulted in a protein comprising a signal sequence of 24 aa in each case, coupled to a prepropeptide of 75 aa for hepcidin 1 and 78 aa for hepcidin 2. A cleavage site was identified in each prepropetide at amino acid 64 with the cleavage motif--QKR/QS--resulting in mature peptides of 25 and 28 amino acids respectively. Each mature peptide contained 8 conserved cysteine residues and 3 dimensional modeling predicted a β-hairpin and β-sheet structure characteristic of human Liver Expressed Antimicrobial Peptide (LEAP). Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences by BLAST with phylogenetic supported indicated that hepcidin 1 was a HAMP1-type peptide closely related to hepcidins identified in other Perciformes (Micropterus and Pseudosciaena), whilst hepcidin 2 was a HAMP2-type peptide most similar to a hepcidin previously identified in black rock fish (Sebastes schlegeli). Both hepcidin genes were inducible in barramundi following intraperitoneal injection with lipopolysaccharide, with elevated expression detected in liver and head kidney 3 h post IP injection for hepcidin 1 and in liver only for hepcidin 2. The elevated expression was transient with return to normal levels within 24-48 h. No significant expression of either peptide was detected in spleen, skin or gill following IP injection with LPS.     

Molecular Characterisation and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Novel Isoform of Hepatic Antimicrobial Peptide, Hepcidin (Zc-hepc1), from the Coral Fish Moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Hepcidin is a family of short cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) participating in various physiological functions with inevitable role in host immune responses. Present study deals with identification and characterisation of a novel hepcidin isoform from coral fish Zanclus cornutus. The 81 amino acid (aa) preprohepcidin obtained from Z. cornutus consists of a hydrophobic aa rich 22 mer signal peptide, a highly variable proregion of 35 aa and a bioactive mature peptide with 8 conserved cysteine residues which contribute to the disulphide back bone. The mature hepcidin, Zc-hepc1 has a theoretical isoelectric point of 7.46, a predicted molecular weight of 2.43 kDa and a net positive charge of +1. Phylogenetic analysis grouped Z. cornutus hepcidin with HAMP2 group hepcidins confirming the divergent evolution of hepcidin-like peptide in fishes. Zc-hepc1 can attain a β-hairpin-like structure with two antiparallel β-sheets. This is the first report of an AMP from the coral fish Z. cornutus.     

Molecular Characterisation of a Novel Isoform of Hepatic Antimicrobial Peptide,Hepcidin (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Le</Emphasis>-Hepc), from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leiognathus equulus</Emphasis> and Analysis of Its Functional Properties In Silico

Hepcidin represents a family of cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides that are mainly expressed in the liver of living organisms. In this study, we have identified and characterised a novel isoform of hepcidin from the common pony fish, Leiognathus equulus (Le-Hepc). A 261-bp fragment cDNA coding for 86 amino acids was obtained. Homologous analysis showed that Le-Hepc belongs to the hepcidin super family and shares sequence identity with other known fish pre-propeptide hepcidin sequences. The ORF encodes for a 24-amino acid (aa) signal peptide coupled to a 36-aa prodomain followed by a 26-aa mature peptide. The mature peptide region has a calculated molecular weight of 2.73 kDa, a net positive charge of +2 and a theoretical pI of 8.23. Phylogenetic analysis of Le-Hepc showed a strong relationship with other fish hepcidin sequences and clustered into HAMP2 group hepcidins. Secondary structural analysis indicated that Le-Hepc mature peptide contains two antiparallel β-sheets strengthened by four disulphide bonds formed by eight conserved cysteine residues. The physicochemical properties of the peptide and its structural parameters are in agreement with characteristic features of an antimicrobial peptide. This is the first report of an antimicrobial peptide from the common pony fish, L. equulus.     

锦鲤Hepcidin基因的克隆及其组织特异性表达分析

【目的】克隆锦鲤hepcidin全长cDNA序列(k-hepc),并获得此基因在鱼体内的表达模式。【方法】利用RT-PCR和RACE PCR的方法,从锦鲤肝脏中克隆锦鲤hepcidin的全长cDNA,进行序列测定和分析;锦鲤经肌肉注射维氏气单胞菌0、4、8、12、24和48 h后,分别取其肝、脾、肾、肠、脑、心、肌肉和鳃组织,采用实时荧光定量PCR的方法,以β-actin为内参基因,检测k-hepc基因的表达量。【结果】锦鲤抗菌肽(GenBank登录号KC795559)全长755 bp,编码序列276 bp,编码91个氨基酸,包括信号肽、原肽和成熟肽,成熟肽C端含有8个半胱氨酸,可形成4个分子内二硫键。与已报道的普通鲤鱼hepcidin氨基酸序列的一致性为93%,与其他鱼类hepcidin氨基酸序列的一致性为29%?93%。在本研究所检测的正常锦鲤的组织中,k-hepc均有表达,其中在肝组织中表达量最高,鳃组织中表达量最低。经维氏气单胞菌感染后,k-hepc在肝和心组织中的表达量明显增加,在其余组织中变化不显著。【结论】k-hepc编码的蛋白是Hepcidin家族的成员之一。锦鲤Hepcidin的表达主要受内在调节因素影响。     

Molecular characterization of hepcidin AS-hepc2 and AS-hepc6 in black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii): expression pattern responded to bacterial challenge and in vitro antimicrobial activity

There are more diversified isoforms of the hepcidin gene that exist in fishes than in mammals, and elucidating the differences between these isoforms should provide insight into the functioning of hepcidin in fishes. In our study, AS-hepc2 and AS-hepc6 hepcidin isoforms from black porgy were characterized for their in vivo expression patterns following bacterial challenge, and their in vitro antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. As a result, two isoforms were observed to be widely distributed in all the tissues tested. AS-hepc2 was a liver-expressed hepcidin peptide which was always highly more expressed in the liver than in the other tissues tested no matter whether this was before or after bacterial challenge. AS-hepc6 was detected mainly in the head kidney and trunk kidney of normal fish, but, in the challenged fish, its expression involved more tissues than just the kidneys. The mature peptides of AS-hepc2 and AS-hepc6 were modeled for 3D structure and then synthesized for antimicrobial assay. AS-hepc6 had a wider antimicrobial spectrum than AS-hepc2 and, in particular, had more potent antifungal activity. Our study indicated that the two hepcidin isoforms had different characteristics in terms of their expression patterns and antimicrobial activity, and they were assumed to play an overlapping role in the innate immune system of black porgy against invading pathogens.     

Bass hepcidin synthesis, solution structure, antimicrobial activities and synergism, and in vivo hepatic response to bacterial infections

Bass hepcidin was purified from the gill of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis) based on antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. This 21-amino acid peptide has 8 cysteines engaged in 4 disulfide bonds and is very similar to human hepcidin, an antimicrobial peptide with iron regulatory properties. To gain insight into potential role(s) of bass hepcidin in innate immunity in fish, we synthesized the peptide, characterized its antimicrobial activities in vitro, determined its solution structure by NMR, and quantified hepatic gene expression in vivo following infection of bass with the fish pathogens, Streptococcus iniae or Aeromonas salmonicida. Its structure is very similar to that of human hepcidin, including the presence of an antiparallel beta-sheet, a conserved disulfide-bonding pattern, and a rare vicinal disulfide bond. Synthetic bass hepcidin was active in vitro against Gram-negative pathogens and fungi but showed no activity against key Gram-positive pathogens and a single yeast strain tested. Hepcidin was non-hemolytic at microbicidal concentrations and had lower specific activity than moronecidin, a broad spectrum, amphipathic, alpha-helical, antimicrobial peptide constitutively expressed in bass gill tissue. Good synergism between the bacterial killing activities of hepcidin and moronecidin was observed in vitro. Hepcidin gene expression in bass liver increased significantly within hours of infection with Gram-positive (S. iniae) or Gram-negative (A. salmonicida) pathogens and was 4-5 orders of magnitude above base-line 24-48 h post-infection. Our results suggest that hepcidin plays a key role in the antimicrobial defenses of bass and that its functions are potentially conserved between fish and human.     

鲈鱼hepcidin原核表达及生物学活性测定

采用RT-PCR方法扩增和克隆了鲈鱼hepcidin(LjFishep)的编码阅读框。该编码阅读框由261个核苷酸组成,编码由86个氨基酸组成的前体蛋白。遗传进化分析表明,LjFishep与条石鲷和河鲈hepcidin的亲缘关系最近。将去除LjFishep信号肽的编码序列克隆到原核表达载体pET-28a(+),实现了LjFishep在大肠杆菌的表达。可溶性分析表明表达蛋白大部分以包涵体形式存在,部分以可溶性形式存在,非变性电泳可见可溶性蛋白存在单体和多聚体组分。镍柱亲和层析法纯化的鲈鱼hepcidin重组表达蛋白(rLjFishep),利用?KTAFPLC(快速蛋白分离纯化系统)进行逐级分离,非变性电泳可见单一rLjFishep可溶性蛋白单体。体外生物学活性分析显示可溶性rLjFishep蛋白单体具有抑制鲈鱼哈维氏弧菌繁殖的能力。这为进一步研究鲈鱼Hepcidin的生物学功能及临床应用奠定了基础。       

海帕西啶铁调节和血色素沉着

血色素沉着是一种血浆铁沉积过多而导致的器官损伤性疾病,多种铁调节基因如HFE、HJV、HAMP和TfR2等的突变均可导致该病的发生,其中HAMP是最为重要的一种。HAMP基因编码一种名为海帕西啶的小肽,是小肠铁重吸收和巨噬细胞铁释放的负调节因子。海帕西啶含量的减少将导致血清铁过负荷和血色素沉着的发生,HFE、HJV和TfR2等基因可影响海帕西啶的表达,从而使海帕西啶成为血色素沉着的中央调节者。这些研究对血色素沉着发生机制的理解及其诊断和治疗具有重要意义。     

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.     

香鱼hepcidin基因的克隆、序列分析及组织表达特征

Hepcidin是一类富含半胱氨酸的抗菌肽,在鱼类非特异性免疫中起重要作用,具有调节铁代谢的功能。该研究克隆了香鱼hepcidin基因cDNA序列,全长763个核苷酸,包含一个完整的开放阅读框,推测编码一个由85个氨基酸组成的相对分子质量为9.7k的多肽,N端24个氨基酸是信号肽序列。香鱼hepcidin的成熟肽序列由25个氨基酸组成,含有8个半胱氨酸,可形成4个分子内二硫键结构。系统进化树分析表明,hepcidin的物种进化关系与目前接受的物种分类关系基本一致,香鱼hepcidin位于鱼类hepcidin簇中,与大西洋鲑hepcidin的亲缘关系最近,达60%。香鱼hepcidin在肝脏中表达量最大,在脾、肾、心脏和肌肉中也有表达。实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)结果表明,鳗利斯顿氏菌(Listonella anguillarum)感染以后香鱼肝组织中hepcidin基因mRNA表达量显著增加,在12h增加了8.26倍。hepcidin基因可能在香鱼抗外界病原物感染过程中起重要作用。     

Expression, purification and structural characterization of recombinant hepcidin, an antimicrobial peptide identified in Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus

The cysteine-rich peptide hepcidin is an antimicrobial peptide and iron transport regulator that has been found in vertebrates including birds, fish and mammals. To elucidate the structure and biological function of fish hepcidin, which is difficult to produce synthetically, we have cloned several plasmid constructs encoding hepcidin from Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, and tested expression of recombinant peptides, each with an N-terminal hexahistidine (6xHis) tag, in inclusion bodies or the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli. Hepcidin expressed in inclusion bodies was reduced, and subsequently refolded using a dilution technique with a cysteine redox system. The oxidized His-hepcidin monomer was separated from protein multimers and mass spectrometry analysis showed that the peptide was of the predicted size and contained four disulfide bonds. Removal of the 6xHis tag was attempted using enzymatic cleavage by Factor Xa and tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease or chemical cleavage by hydroxylamine. The Factor Xa cleavage was unsuccessful and hydroxylamine cleavage resulted in aggregation of cleaved peptide. TEV protease cleavage was successful but immediately resulted in hexamer formation despite varying reaction conditions (redox, non-redox, pH, temperature, target protein concentration, type of buffer). However, the recombinant His-hepcidin fusion peptide monomer showed considerable antimicrobial activity. NMR-based studies showed that hepcidin contained a rare vicinal disulfide linkage at the top of a loop structure and a short beta-sheet structure encompassing residues 7-13 and 19-25 that is stabilized by three disulfide bonds.     

Two different types of hepcidins from the Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

The cysteine-rich peptide hepcidin is known to be an antimicrobial peptide and iron transport regulator that has been found in both fish and mammals. Recently, we found two different types (designated Hep-JF1 and Hep-JF2) of hepcidin cDNA in the Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, by expressed sequence tag analysis. The identity of amino acid sequences between Hep-JF1 and Hep-JF2 was 51%. The Hep-JF1 and Hep-JF2 genes both consist of three exons and two introns, and both exist as single copies in the genome. The predicted mature regions of Hep-JF1 and Hep-JF2 have six and eight Cys residues, respectively. The first Cys residue of Hep-JF1 was deleted and the second was replaced with Gly. The number and positions of Cys residues in Hep-JF2 are the same as they are in human Hep. Hep-JF1 is specifically expressed in liver while the expression of Hep-JF2 was detected from gill, liver, heart, kidney, peripheral blood leucocytes, spleen and stomach. Gene expression of Hep-JF1 in liver decreased during experimental iron (iron-dextran) overload. Expression of Hep-JF1 in liver was decreased by injecting fish with iron-dextran and increased by injecting lipopolysaccharide. Iron overload did not significantly affect expression of Hep-JF2 in liver but it did increase expression of Hep-JF2 in kidney. Lipopolysaccharide injection increased expression of Hep-JF2 in both liver and kidney. In liver, some cells expressed both Hep-JF1 and Hep-JF2 while some other cells expressed just one of them. Synthesized Hep-JF2 peptide showed antimicrobial activity, while synthesized Hep-JF1 peptide did not against several bacteria including fish-pathogenic bacteria used in this study.