Bioinformatic analysis of antivirus‐related TRIM genes in Dabry’s sturgeon Acipenser dabryanus

Abstract

TRIM proteins are a group of highly conserved proteins that participate in a variety of biological processes in innate immunity. However, the roles of the Acipenseridae trim genes in the anti-bacterial immune response remained uncertain. In the present study, the Dabry’s sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) TRIM2, TRIM8, and TRIM59 protein sequences were found to be similar to Chicken (Gallus gallus), with identities 92.8%, 89.1%, and 79.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, the TRIM23, TRIM37, and TRIM82 proteins shared 95.8%, 81.7%, and 78.1% similarity with Zebrafish (Danio rerio) homologs, respectively. Sequence alignment indicated that these six adTRIMs contained incomplete domains at their N-termini, including a RING-finger domain and one or two B-boxes domains. The six adtrim genes were constitutively expressed in immune related tissues, such as the head kidney, and were also expressed in non-immune related tissues, like the blood, brain, muscle, and liver. After challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila, the expression levels of adtrims changed during the early stage of infection. Stimulation by A. hydrophila upregulated the expression levels of adtrim8 and adtrim59 in the spleen and caudal kidney, while the expression of adtrim82 in the spleen and caudal kidney was inhibited at 12 hr post-infection. A. hydrophila challenge led to significant upregulation of adtrim2 and downregulation of adtrim23 in the spleen. In addition, adtrim37 was only weakly affected by A. hydrophila stimulation. These results suggested that adtrims were related to the immune response to bacterial infection, which provides the fundamental basis for protecting Dabry’s sturgeon against pathogen attack.