Cloning and characterization of a transcriptional repressor from Fenneropenaeus chinensis (Osbeck, 1765)

Abstract

In this study, a transcriptional repressor was cloned and characterized from the Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis (Osbeck, 1765) and named FcTR. The results indicate that the full-length cDNA of 1397 bp has an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 354 amino acids. The calculated molecular mass of the mature protein was found to be 39.9 kDa and theoretical pI 5.59. The FcTR has four ZnF-C2H2 domains and two putative transcriptional repressor regulating G2/M transition domains (SFP1). A phylogenetic analysis of transcriptional repressor sequences shows that FcTR has a high homology with the invertebrate transcriptional repressors from Megachile rotundata (Fabricius, 1793), Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758, Camponotus floridanus (Buckley, 1866), Acromyrmex octospinosus echinatior (Forel, 1899) and Apis florea Fabricius, 1787 (similarity 72%). A qRT-PCR analysis indicated that FcTR was expressed in intestines, hepatopancreas, muscles and gills, and its profile was increased significantly post WSSV (white spot syndrome virus) challenge followed by a decreased trend in all examined tissues. These results indicate that FcTR might be involved in the immune defence response to WSSV in F. chinensis as a negative regulator.