Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analyses of TLRs in Yesso scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) provide insight into the disparity of responses to acidifying exposure in bivalves

Abstract

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in innate immunity by recognizing specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns, including lipoproteins, lipopeptides, lipopolysaccharide, flagellin, dsRNA, ssRNA and CpG DNA motifs. Although significant effects of TLRs on immunity have been reported in most vertebrates and some invertebrates, the complete TLR superfamily has not been systematically characterized in scallops. In this study, 18 TLR genes were identified from Yesso scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) using whole-genome scanning. Phylogenetic and protein structural analyses were performed to determine the identities and evolutionary relationships of the 18 genes. Extensive expansion of TLR genes from the Yesso scallop genome indicated gene duplication events. In addition, expression profiling of PyTLRs was performed at different acidifying exposure levels (pH = 6.50, 7.50) with different challenge durations (3, 6, 12 and 24 h) via in silico analysis using transcriptome and genome databases. Our results confirmed the inducible expression patterns of PyTLRs under acidifying exposure, and the responses to immune stress may have arisen through adaptive recruitment of tandem duplications of TLR genes. Collectively, this study provides novel insight into PyTLRs as well as the specific role and response of TLR signaling pathways in host immune responses against acidifying exposure in bivalves.