Molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of cathepsin A gene in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

作者：Li, Wei-Wei; He, Lin; Jin, Xing-Kun; Jiang, Hui; Chen, Li-Li; Wang, Ying; Wang, Qun^*

来源：Peptides, 2011, 32(3): 518-525.

DOI：10.1016/j.peptides.2010.08.027

• Chinese mitten crab
• Eriocheir sinensis
• Cathepsin A
• Infection
• Quantitative real-time PCR

Cathepsins, a superfamily of hydrolytic enzymes produced and enclosed within lysosomes, function in immune response in vertebrates; however, their function within the innate immune system of invertebrates remains largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the immune functionality of cathepsin A (catA) in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), a commercially important and disease vulnerable aqua-culture species. The full length catA cDNA (2200 bp) was cloned via PCR based upon an initial expressed sequence tag (EST) isolated from a hepatopancreatic cDNA library. The catA cDNA contained a 1398 bp open reading frame (ORF) that encoded a putative 465 amino acid (aa) protein. Comparisons with other reported vertebrate cathepsins sequences revealed percent identity range from 48 to 51%. CatA mRNA expression in E. sinensis was (a) tissue-specific, with the highest expression observed in gill and (b) responsive in hemocytes to a Vibrio anguillarum challenge, with peak exposure observed 12 h post-injection. Collectively, data demonstrate the successful isolation of catA from the Chinese mitten crab, and its involvement in the innate immune system of an invertebrate.

• 出版日期2011-3
• 单位华东师范大学