Transcriptional analysis of antioxidant and immune defense genes in disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus) during thermal, low-salinity and hypoxic stress

Abstract

This study describes the transcriptional analysis of antioxidant and immune defense genes in gills tissue of disk abalone exposed to thermal, salinity and hypoxia-related stress, using quantitative real-time PCR. Results showed that manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), catalase (CAT), thioredoxin peroxidase (TPx), selenium dependant glutathione peroxidase (SeGPx), and thioredoxin-2 (TRx-2) transcripts were expressed differently in gills, and that they respond collectively as a classical enzymatic antioxidant defense system in abalone. Comparative analysis of expression profiles indicated that CAT, TPx and SeGPx transcripts were significantly up-regulated (p<0.05) by all three physical stress conditions - thermal (28 degrees C), salinity (25 per thousand) and hypoxia - relative to levels in respective controls. In contrast, CuZnSOD and TRx-2 transcription were down-regulated in response to thermal stress. Interestingly, all the antioxidant transcripts exhibited significant up-regulation in response to salinity-related stress. Meanwhile, hypoxia caused up-regulation of the MnSOD, CAT, TPx and SeGPx, but not the CuZnSOD and TRx-2 transcripts. One of the most significant outcomes was the more than 10-fold induction of SeGPx, suggesting that SeGPx is a potential biomarker gene among antioxidant enzymes, under conditions of physical stress. The effects of physical stress on the transcriptional responses of immune functional genes namely suppressor of cytokine signaling-2 (SOCS-2) and myxovirus resistance (Mx) were investigated. We observed that salinity and hypoxia increase both the SOCS-2 and Mx transcripts, while thermal stress at 28 degrees C exerts less of an effect, producing mixed transcriptional responses (both up and down regulation). Based upon these results, we postulate that abalones utilize antioxidant and immune defense mechanisms together to overcome physical stresses.