Cloning and expression of a novel component of the CAP superfamily enhanced in the inflammatory response to LPS of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis |
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Authors: | Angela Bonura Aiti Vizzini Giuseppina Salerno Daniela Parrinello Nicolò Parrinello Valeria Longo Giovanna Montana Paolo Colombo |
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Institution: | 1. Istituto di Biomedicina ed Immunologia Molecolare “Alberto Monroy” del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy 2. Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, Palermo, Italy
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Abstract: | The CAP superfamily is a group of proteins that have been linked to several biological functions such as reproduction, cancer,
and immune defense. A differential screening between lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged and naive Ciona intestinalis has been performed to identify LPS-induced genes. This strategy has allowed the isolation of a full-length 1471-bp cDNA encoding
for a 413-amino-acid protein (CiCAP). In silico analysis has shown that this polypeptide displays a modular structure with
similarities to vertebrate CAP-superfamily proteins and to a collagen-binding adhesin of Streptococcus mutans. Domain organization analysis and alignment of CiCAP to other vertebrate CAP proteins have revealed a novel structure suggesting
that this protein originated from a common ancestor gene that gave rise to many subfamilies of mosaic proteins with novel
functions. Quantitative mRNA expression performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis has demonstrated that this
gene is rapidly activated in the pharynx of C. intestinalis a few hours after LPS injection. Moreover, in situ hybridization has shown that CiCAP mRNA is highly expressed by hemocytes with large granules contained inside the pharynx
vessels. Thus, CiCAP represents a protein with novel structural domains involved in ascidian immune responses. |
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