Abstract
Clip domain serine proteinase homologs are involved in many biological processes including immune response. To identify the immune function of a serine proteinase homolog (Sp-SPH), originally isolated from hemocytes of the mud crab, Scylla paramamosain, the Sp-SPH was expressed recombinantly and purified for further studies. It was found that the Sp-SPH protein could bind to a number of bacteria (including Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio parahemolyticus), bacterial cell wall components such as lipopolysaccharide or peptidoglycan (PGN), and β-1, 3-glucan of fungus. But no direct antibacterial activity of Sp-SPH protein was shown by using minimum inhibitory concentration or minimum bactericidal concentration assays. Nevertheless, the Sp-SPH protein was found to significantly enhance the crab hemocyte adhesion activity (paired t-test, P<0.05), and increase phenoloxidase activity if triggered by PGN in vitro (paired t-test, P<0.05). Importantly, the Sp-SPH protein was demonstrated to promote the survival rate of the animals after challenge with A. hydrophila or V. parahemolyticus which were both recognized by Sp-SPH protein, if pre-incubated with Sp-SPH protein, respectively. Whereas, the crabs died much faster when challenged with Vibrio alginolyiicus, a pathogenic bacterium not recognized by Sp-SPH protein, compared to those of crabs challenged with A. hydrophila or V. parahemolyticus when pre-coated with Sp-SPH protein. Taken together, these data suggested that Sp-SPH molecule might play an important role in immune defense against bacterial infection in the mud crab S. paramamosain.
Highlights
Invertebrates rely solely on innate immunity against invading pathogens
To further characterize the Sp-SPH in terms of immune protection against invading bacteria, we investigated the mortality of mud crabs after challenge of the selected pathogenic bacteria, A. hydrophila or V. parahemolyticus, which could be recognized by Sp-SPH protein
This result suggested that the Sp-SPH protein could recognize different bacteria, which might lead to activation of immune signaling pathway after its recognition, indicating that this Sp-SPH protein may play a role in immune defense in the mud crab
Summary
Invertebrates rely solely on innate immunity against invading pathogens These immune responses are triggered by the recognition and binding of pattern recognition proteins (PRPs) to the surface molecules such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan (PGN) of bacterial cell walls, and b-1, 3-glucan of fungal cell walls, of the invading microorganism [1]. The studies of proteinases or proteinase homologs with clip domains are essential for elucidating the innate immune responses against invading pathogens in invertebrates. The purified recombinant protein was characterized for immune roles such as bacterial recognition, binding activity to bacterial or fungal associated components, hemocyte adhesion activity, proPO activation and immune protection against bacterial challenge in the mud crab S. paramamosain
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