Nucleotide Open Reading Frame Research Articles

Complete genome characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus My-466 belonging to the novel lineage O/ME-SA/SA-2018

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), the causative agent of the foot-and-mouth disease of cattle population possesses a rapid evolutionary rate. In Bangladesh, the first circulation of the O/ME-SA/SA-2018 lineage as a novel sublineage, MYMBD21 was reported from our laboratory. The first whole genome sequence of an isolate, BAN/MY/My-466/2021 (shortly named My-466) of the SA-2018 lineage is characterized and represented in this study. The genome is 8216 nucleotides long with 6996 nucleotides open reading frame flanked by 5ꞌ UTR (1–1100) and 3ꞌ UTR (8097–8216). VP1 was found to be highly variable among the structural proteins with crucial mutations in the major antigenic region, G-H loop. Structural variations of the VP1 against both field and proposed local vaccine strains were evidenced by the G-H loop displacement in a superimposed 3D model. The complete genome information of the isolate would be valuable for undertaking proper control measures needed to limit the spread of the newly emerged FMDV strain.

Differential β‐arrestin2 binding of the human β 1 ‐adrenoceptor Arg389Gly polymorphic variants in cardiac myocytes

Rationale The β1-adrenergic receptor (AR) is the primary receptor in cardiomyocytes through which catecholamines increase cardiac function, i.e. contractility and heart rate (positive inotropy and chronotropy). The human β1AR gene (Adrb1), which encodes a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), displays high nucleotide sequence variability. One of its several non-synonymous polymorphisms identified to date is the Gly/Arg variation at aminoacid position 389 (C1165G in the open reading frame's nucleotide sequence), with the Arg389 variant being much less frequent in African-Americans than in Caucasians (58% vs. 73%, respectively). Since amino acid 389 is located in the intracellular C-terminus of the encoded receptor, this polymorphism is expected, and has been shown to affect both signaling/function and desensitization of the β1AR. Indeed, Arg389 β1AR has been found to be hyperfunctional, compared to its Gly389 counterpart, in transfected cell lines and in cardiomyocytes in vitro. It is also known to affect the response of individuals to the cardiac stimulant (β1AR-agonist) dobutamine, as well as the responses of heart failure patients to several β-blockers (β1AR-antagonists), including carvedilol, to which the Arg allele confers greater responses. Consistent with this, homozygous Arg389 heart failure patients seem to fare much better than their homozygous Gly389 or heterozygous Arg389Gly counterparts when treated with the same β-blocker drug, a finding that has led to the idea of utilizing genotyping for the β1AR Arg389Gly polymorphism for the purposes of stratification of heart failure patients and of tailoring their b-blocker therapy. Objective To examine the interaction of the two β1AR variants with the signal transducers β-arrestins in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs), in order to identify molecular mechanisms underlying their functional differences. Methods We tested the interaction of the polymorphic β1ARs with β-arrestins via β1AR immunoprecipitation followed by β-arrestin immunoblotting in NRVM protein extracts. Results The β-arrestin1 isoform binds both variants equally well in NRVMs. Conversely, the potentially beneficial in the heart β-arrestin2 isoform interacts only with the Arg389 receptor (not with the Gly389 allele) in NRVMs. Conclusion Arg389 confers unique β-arrestin2-interacting properties to the β1AR in cardiac myocytes, potentially underlying this variant's gain-of-function phenotype.

Genomic Structure, Evolutionary Origins, and Reproductive Function of a Large Amplified Intrinsically Disordered Protein-Coding Gene on the X Chromosome (Laidx) in Mice.

Mouse sex chromosomes are enriched for co-amplified gene families, present in tens to hundreds of copies. Co-amplification of Slx/Slxl1 on the X chromosome and Sly on the Y chromosome are involved in dose-dependent meiotic drive, however the role of other co-amplified genes remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the co-amplified gene family on the X chromosome, Srsx, along with two additional partial gene annotations, is actually part of a larger transcription unit, which we name Laidx. Laidx is harbored in a 229 kb amplicon that represents the ancestral state as compared to a 525 kb Y-amplicon containing the rearranged Laidy. Laidx contains a 25,011 nucleotide open reading frame, predominantly expressed in round spermatids, predicted to encode an 871 kD protein. Laidx has orthologous copies with the rat and also the 825-MY diverged parasitic Chinese liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis, the likely result of a horizontal gene transfer of rodent Laidx to an ancestor of the liver fluke. To assess the male reproductive functions of Laidx, we generated mice carrying a multi-megabase deletion of the Laidx-ampliconic region. Laidx-deficient male mice do not show detectable reproductive defects in fertility, fecundity, testis histology, and offspring sex ratio. We speculate that Laidx and Laidy represent a now inactive X vs. Y chromosome conflict that occurred in an ancestor of present day mice.

Structural features and antiviral function of the MDA5 gene in ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) is an important cytoplasmic RNA sensor that detects viral double-stranded RNA in innate immunity. The objective of this study was to characterize the structure and function of the MDA5 gene in the duck. In this study, full-length duck MDA5 (duMDA5) complementary DNA (cDNA) was obtained using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of the cDNA ends. The cDNA consisted of a 123 nucleotide 5′ untranslated region (UTR), a 735 nucleotide 3′ UTR, and a 3012 nucleotide open-reading frame, encoding 1003 amino acids. Multiple sequence alignments showed that duMDA5 had 91.18% and 83.11% amino acid sequence similarity with geese and chicken MDA5, respectively, as well as 59.76%–61.26% sequence identity with mammalian homologs. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that MDA5 has been highly conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the duMDA5 mRNA is scarcely detected in healthy tissues and the highest relative transcript level of duMDA5 was induced during poly(I:C) stimulation. Furthermore, knockdown duMDA5 significantly inhibited the transcription of poly(I:C)-induced beta interferons, nuclear factor kappa-B, interferon regulatory factor 7, translocated intimin receptor domain-containing adaptor protein inducing beta interferons, interferon-induced GTP-binding protein, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and 2 mRNA. Taken together, these results suggest that duMDA5 is an important receptor for inducing antiviral activity in the duck’s innate immune response.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: filtering fact from fiction in the infodemic: Q&A with virologist Professor Urs Greber.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: filtering fact from fiction in the infodemic: Q&A with virologist Professor Urs Greber.

Molecular identification, characterization, and expression analysis of a novel trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich peptide from the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (H\xfcbner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Trypsin inhibitor-like cysteine-rich domain (TIL)-type protease inhibitors have been reported to inhibit proteases such as trypsin, cathepsin, elastase, and chymotrypsin, and thus play a critical role in several physiological processes. However, the information about TIL peptides in insects is limited. In the present study, a novel cysteine-rich trypsin inhibitor-like protease, designated as HaTIL2, was isolated from the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The cDNA sequence of HaTIL2 is 470 nucleotides long, with 240 nucleotides open reading frame encoding 80 amino acid residues. The analysis of genomic DNA revealed that the full-length genomic DNA sequence of HaTIL2 was 574 bp with two exons and one intron. The predicted molecular weight of HaTIL2 is 8.632 kDa, with an isoelectric point of 4.41. The results of neighbor-joining tree demonstrated that HaTIL2 was closely related to H. armigera TIL3, DmCEI, and DsCtAPI followed by TcIMI and MdCEI. The mRNA of HaTIL2 was constitutively expressed at different levels in different stages of H. armigera. The HaTIL2 showed a high expression on different days of the pupal stage, which revealed that HaTIL2 might play a vital role during the pupal stage. Although the detailed function of HaTIL2 needs to be elucidated, the obtained results are of particular importance to open up new avenues of research into the functional studies of insect peptidase inhibitors.

Characterization of the melanocortin-4 receptor gene from Spinibarbus hollandi and the association between its polymorphisms and S. hollandi growth traits

The melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R) is a member of the central melanocortin pathway, which influences development, growth, metabolism, and appetite. In this study, MC4R was cloned and characterized in Spinibarbus hollandi. MC4R DNA is composed of 3068 nucleotides with a 978 nucleotide open reading frame encoding a protein of 326 amino acids. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that MC4R messenger RNA was ubiquitously expressed in tissues, with the most transcriptional abundance in brain and gonad, and that the expression level of MC4R was significantly higher in the lightest group than in the heaviest group of S. hollandi. A primary assessment of sequence variability revealed six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), among which, four were in the promoter (−698A>G, −679C>T, −326C>T, and −202A>G) and two were in the exon (36A>G and 234C>T). Three SNPs, −698A>G, −679C>T, and 234C>T, were significantly associated with growth traits, two of which, −698A>G and −679C>T, were in complete linkage. The other three SNPs showed no significant associations with any of the growth traits. Our data indicated a significant association between genetic variations in the S. hollandi MC4R and growth traits. Accordingly, the SNPs identified in the MC4R could be used as potential genetic markers in future breeding programs for S. hollandi and other fish.

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) ATF6 (activating transcription factor 6) modulates the transcriptional level of GRP78 and GRP94 in CIK cells.

ATF transcription factors are stress proteins containing alkaline area-leucine zipper and play an important role in endoplasmic reticulum stress. ATF6 is a protective protein which regulates the adaptation of cells to ER stress by modulating the transcription of UPR (Unfolded Protein Response) target genes, including GRP78 and GRP94. In the present study, a grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) ATF6 full-length cDNA (named CiATF6, KT279356) has been cloned and identified. CiATF6 is 4176 bp in length, comprising 159 nucleotides of 5'-untranslated sequence, a 1947 nucleotides open reading frame and 2170 nucleotides of 3'-untranslated sequences. The largest open reading frame of CiATF6 translates into 648 aa with a typical DNA binding domain (BRLZ domain) and shares significant homology to the known ATF6 counterparts. Phylogenetic reconstruction confirmed its closer evolutionary relationship with other fish counterparts, especially with Zebrafish ATF6. RT-PCR showed that CiATF6 was ubiquitously expressed and significantly up-regulated after stimulation with thermal stress in all tested grass carp tissues. In order to know more about the role of CiATF6 in ER stress, recombinant CiATF6N with His-tag was over-expressed in Rosetta Escherichia coli, and the expressed protein was purified by affinity chromatography with Ni-NTA His-Bind Resin. In vitro, gel mobility shift assays were employed to analyze the interaction of CiATF6 protein with the promoters of grass carp GRP78 and GRP94, respectively. The result has shown that CiATF6 could bind to these promoters with high affinity by means of its BRLZ mainly. To further study the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of CiATF6, Dual-luciferase reporter assays were applied. Recombinant plasmids of pGL3-GRP78P and pGL3-CiGRP94P were constructed and transiently co-transfected with pcDNA3.1-CiATF6 (pcDN3.1-CiATF6-nBRLZ, respectively) into C. idella kidney (CIK) cells. The result has shown that CiATF6 could activate CiGRP78 and CiGRP94 promoters.

Acipenser Persicus Growth Hormone gene Sequencing and its structures

Administering growth hormone increases growth rate of cultured fish. The aim of this study was isolation and synthesize of Persian sturgeon GH cDNA. The total RNA was extracted from pituitary gland of Persian sturgeon and cDNA was synthesized. The full-length cDNA sequence of Persian sturgeon contains a 645 nucleotide open reading frame, which encoding a 214 amino acid residues. The position of the signal peptide cleavage site was predicted to be at position 72. After cleaving of a signal peptide of 24 amino acid resi dues, a mature peptide of 190 aa formed. The blast observed that the PS pre GH have highest nucleotide sequence similarity with Acipenseridae family and mammals GH. Secondary structure and tertiary structure of Persian sturgeon growth hormone gene were prediction by online software. The secondary structure of the GH was revealed the predomination of a- helix (> 55%), the domains of high conservation across the vertebrate GH protein. The predicted 3D structure of Persian sturgeon growth hormone attribute to the typical 4-a-helix bundle protein conformation, the characteristic 3-D confirmation of growth hormones.

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of serine protease cDNA from the venom of the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes dehaani

Objective: Proteolytic enzymes are one of the well-known components of animal venom. The aim of this study was to identify protease from the venom gland of Scolopendra subspinipes dehaani. Methods: After total RNA extraction, a cDNA encoding a serine protease was identified by RT-PCR and was subsequently sequenced. The sequence was analysed by multiple alignment and homology modelling. Results: A cDNA encoding the precursor of a centipede venom serine protease was identified. The full-length cDNA was 1,014 nucleotides with 780 nucleotides of open reading frame. The precursor nucleotide sequence encoded a signal peptide of 19 residues and a mature protein of 260 residues. It belonged to clan PA of serine proteases in the MEROPS database classification. Catalytic residues were identified by multiple alignments, including an unusual hydrogen bond network in the catalytic site. Secondary structure prediction and homology modelling revealed a chymotrypsin-like fold, which is characteristic of PA clan proteases. Conclusion: The sequence of the identified serine protease showed unusual features, making this centipede venom serine protease an interesting candidate to investigate. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism of venom components will be useful for further applications and help to improve envenomation treatment.

Rare case of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E from the blood of a donor infected with the hepatitis E virus genotype 3 indigenous to Japan: Viral dynamics from onset to recovery.

The transfusion transmission of hepatitis E can occur even in non-endemic areas in the world as autochthonous hepatitis E has been increasingly reported in developed countries where the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is not prevalent. We investigated the post-transfusion transmission of hepatitis E in a patient by molecularly confirming its presence, and characterized the viral kinetics of HEV in this case. A Japanese man underwent re-thoracotomy for hemostasis followed by platelet transfusion. After the transfusion, the blood donor was found to be HEV positive. The donated blood was re-examined and was found to contain HEV. Throughout the prospective follow up of the patient, we analyzed the viral kinetics, chronological anti-HEV antibody level changes and disease progression during the entire course of HEV infection from transfusion until the end of viremia. Sequence analysis of the strains isolated from both the donor and the patient who contracted acute hepatitis E showed an identical match for 326 nucleotides in open reading frame 1. Two strains belonged to HEV genotype 3 indigenous to Japan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detailed report on the entire natural course of hepatitis E from viral transmission, then clearance, to replication preceding liver injury caused by HEV genotype 3, which is responsible for autochthonous infection in developed countries. The findings provide valuable insights into the mechanism of the transfusion transmission of HEV and subsequent viral dynamics.

Characterization, tissue distribution and regulation of neuropeptideY in Schizothorax prenanti.

In this study, the full-length neuropeptide Y (npy) complementary (c)DNA was cloned in ya fish Schizothorax prenanti. npy cDNA was composed of 789 nucleotides with a 288 nucleotide open reading frame encoding a protein of 96 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequences contained a 28 amino acids signal peptide followed by a 36 amino acids mature neuropeptide Y (NPY). The npy mRNA was expressed mainly in the brain and eye as detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction RT-PCR (rt-qPCR). The S. prenanti NPY was detectable from blastulation to hatch, suggesting that npy might be involved in the late embryonic development of S. prenanti. An experiment was conducted to determine the expression profile of npy during feeding of a single meal and during long-term fasting. The expression level of npy in fed fish was significantly decreased at 0.5, 1.5, 3 and 9 h post-feeding (hpf) than in fasting fish. Fasting for 14 days induced an increase in npy messenger (m)RNA expression in the brain. Overall, the results suggest that NPY is a conserved peptide that might be involved in the regulation of feeding and other physiological function in S. prenanti.

Silencing of the CaCP gene delays salt- and osmotic-induced leaf senescence in Capsicum annuum L.

Cysteine proteinases have been known to participate in developmental processes and in response to stress in plants. Our present research reported that a novel CP gene, CaCP, was involved in leaf senescence in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The full-length CaCP cDNA is comprised of 1316 bp, contains 1044 nucleotides in open reading frame (ORF), and encodes a 347 amino acid protein. The deduced protein belongs to the papain-like cysteine proteases (CPs) superfamily, containing a highly conserved ERFNIN motif, a GCNGG motif and a conserved catalytic triad. This protein localized to the vacuole of plant cells. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of CaCP gene was dramatically higher in leaves and flowers than that in roots, stems and fruits. Moreover, CaCP transcripts were induced upon during leaf senescence. CaCP expression was upregulated by plant hormones, especially salicylic acid. CaCP was also significantly induced by abiotic and biotic stress treatments, including high salinity, mannitol and Phytophthora capsici. Loss of function of CaCP using the virus-induced gene-silencing technique in pepper plants led to enhanced tolerance to salt- and osmotic-induced stress. Taken together, these results suggest that CaCP is a senescence-associated gene, which is involved in developmental senescence and regulates salt- and osmotic-induced leaf senescence in pepper.

Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Growth Hormone cDNA Sequence from the Acipenser Persicus

The aim of this study was to investigate the amount of variation between Acipenseridea family and also, study amount of phylogenetic variation between Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) with other Acipenseridea regarding to the Growth Hormon (GH) gene. In this study, pre growth hormone gene of Persian sturgeon was identified for first time and applied to gene bank (JN604534.1, 2011). The total RNA was extracted from pituitary gland of Persian Sturgeon, cDNA was synthesized. The full-length cDNA sequence of Persian sturgeon contains a 645 nucleotide open reading frame, which encodes a peptide of 214 amino acids. The position of the signal peptide cleavage site was predicted to be at position 72. After cleaving of a signal peptide of 24 amino acid resi¬dues and a mature peptide of 190 aa formed. Multiple sequence alignments and Phylogenic tree were performed by using the MEGA5 program. By sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis of amino acid residues indicated that GH widely conserved in other species were identified. The GH nucleic acid and amino acid residue sequences of Persian sturgeon had a highest similarity to these of other Acipenseridea as well as mammalian, followed by those of Anguiliformes

Molecular Cloning and Function Characterization of a New Macrophage-Activating Protein from Tremella fuciformis

Silver ear mushroom ( Tremella fuciformis ) is an edible fungus with health benefits. In this study, we purified a new T. fuciformis protein (TFP) and demonstrated its ability to activate primary murine macrophages. The isolation procedure involved ammonium sulfate fractionation and ion exchange chromatography. TFP naturally formed a 24 kDa homodimeric protein and did not contain glycan residues. The TFP gene was cloned using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends method, and the cDNA sequence of TFP was composed of 408 nucleotides with a 336 nucleotide open reading frame encoding a 112 amino acid protein. TFP was capable of stimulating TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-1ra, and IL-12 production in addition to CD86/MHC class II expression, mRNA expression of M1-type chemokines, and nuclear NF-κB accumulation in murine peritoneal macrophage cells. Furthermore, TFP failed to stimulate TLR4-neutralized and TLR4-knockout macrophages, suggesting that TLR4 is a required receptor for TFP signaling on macrophages. Taken together, these results indicate that TFP may be an important bioactive compound from T. fuciformis that induces M1-polarized activation through a TLR4-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway.

Identification and expression analysis of the leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin-2 (LECT2) gene in duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2), first identified as a chemotactic factor, is involved in the regulation of liver regeneration, carcinogenesis, and natural killer T-cell homeostasis in mammals. The function of LECT2 in the duck remains unclear, however. A suppression subtractive cDNA library was constructed from the livers of 3-day-old ducklings treated with duck hepatitis virus type I (DHV-1). A total of 66 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were identified in the libraries. Among the novel gene fragments identified was the LECT2 gene. Full-length duck LECT2 (duLECT2) complementary DNA (cDNA) was obtained using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE). The cDNA consisted of a 50 nucleotide 5′ untranslated region (UTR), an 84 nucleotide 3′ UTR, and a 1020 nucleotide open reading frame encoding a single protein of 339 amino acids. In agreement with a previously reported LECT2 sequence, the predicted amino acid sequence contains characteristic phosphorylation and N-glycosylation sites. DuLECT2 is highly similar to LECT2 genes from other vertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the LECT2 gene has been highly conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. RT-PCR analyses revealed that duLECT2 mRNA is widely expressed in healthy tissues. They also showed that duLECT2 mRNA is significantly up-regulated in the liver and spleen following injection with DHV-1 or polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C), peaking 4 or 12h post-challenge in the liver and spleen, respectively, and afterwards gradually returning to normal. Our findings suggest that duLECT2 contributes to the innate immune response against viral infections.

Cloning, distribution and effects of fasting status of melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) in Schizothorax prenanti

Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) has an important role in the regulation of energy homeostasis in both mammals and fish. In this study, MC4R was characterized in S. prenanti (Schizothorax prenanti) and designated as SpMC4R. SpMC4R cDNA is composed of 1004 nucleotides with a 978 nucleotide open reading frame encoding a protein of 326 amino acids. The SpMC4R contained predicted regions that were structural features of MCR subtypes of vertebrates. In addition, phylogenetic analyses suggested that S. prenanti MC4R was closely related to fish MC4Rs. The SpMC4R mRNA was detected in embryos at developmental stages. Further, its mRNA was detectable in unfertilized eggs. Using real-time RT-PCR, MC4R is widely expressed, with highest levels of expression in brain and ovary. An experiment was conducted to determine the expression profile of MC4R during short-term and long-term fasting of the brain. The expression level of MC4R in unfed fish was significantly increased at 6, 9 and 24h post-fasting (hpf) and 14days fasting than in fed fish, this suggests that MC4R is conserved peptide that might be involved in the regulation of food intake and other physiological function in S. prenanti.

A novel C-type lectin identified by EST analysis in tissue migratory larvae of Ascaris suum

C-type lectins (CTLs) are a group of proteins which bind to carbohydrate epitopes in the presence of Ca(2+), which have been described in a wide range of species. In this study, a cDNA sequence coding a putative CTL has been identified from the cDNA library constructed from the pig round worm Ascaris suum lung L3 (LL3) larvae, which was designated as A. suum C-type lectin-1 (As-CTL-1). The 510 nucleotide open reading frame of As-CTL-1 cDNA encoded the predicted 169 amino acid protein including a putative signal peptide of 23 residues and C-type lectin/C-type lectin-like domain (CLECT) at residue 26 to 167. As-CTL-1 was most similar to Toxocara canis C-type lectin-1 and 4 (Tc-CTL-1 and 4), and highly homologous to namatode CTLs and mammalian CTLs as well, such as human C-type lectin domain family 4 member G (CLECG4). In addition, As-CTL-1 was strongly expressed in tissue migrating LL3 and the L4 larvae, which were developmental larvae stages within the mammalian host. These results suggest that A. suum larvae might utilize As-CTL-1 to avoid pathogen recognition mechanisms in mammalian hosts due to it is similarity to host immune cell receptors.

Immunobiotic Lactobacillus strains augment NLRP3 expression in newborn and adult porcine gut-associated lymphoid tissues

We isolated cDNA encoding porcine nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor family, pryin domain containing 3 ( NLRP3) from Peyer's patches. The complete nucleotide open reading frame of porcine NLRP3 contains 3108-bp encoding a deduced polypeptide of 1036-amino acid residues. The porcine NLRP3 amino acid sequence is more similar to the longest isoform of human than the mouse counterpart. The predicted amino acid sequence of porcine NLRP3 presented nine C-terminal leucine-rich repeat domains. In newborn swine, the expression of NLRP3 was detected at higher levels in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes, while lower levels were observed in intestinal tissues. In adult swine, NLRP3 was strongly expressed in Peyer's patches and the mesenteric lymph nodes, and the expression level in the lower intestinal tissues was comparable to that in spleen. Toll-like receptor and nucleotide-binding domain ligands, as well as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Lactobacillus gasseri, enhanced NLRP3 expression in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) of newborn and adult swine. Our results should aid in understanding the intestinal immunoregulatory mechanisms underlying NLRP3 activation and the priming ability of immunobiotic lactic acid bacteria in porcine GALT.

Molecular cloning, mRNA expression, and characterization of heat shock protein 10 gene from humphead snapper Lutjanus sanguineus

Heat shock protein 10 (HSP10) gene of humphead snapper ( Lutjanus sanguineus), designated as ByHSP10, was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques with the primers designed from the known EST sequence identified from the subtracted cDNA library of the head kidney of humphead snapper. Sequence analysis showed the full length cDNA of ByHSP10 was 529 bp, containing a 5′ terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 51 bp, a 3′ terminal UTR of 181 bp, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 297 bp encoding a polypeptide of 99 amino acids. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, the theoretical molecular mass of ByHSP10 was calculated to be 10.92 kDa with an isoelectric point of 9.46. Moreover, chaperonins hsp10/cpn10 signature was found in the amino acids sequence of ByHSP10 by PredictProtein. BLAST analysis revealed that the amino acids of ByHSP10 had the highest homology of 88% compared with other HSP10s. Fluorescent real-time quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the expression of ByHSP10 gene in eight kinds of tissues of humphead snapper after the challenge with Vibrio harveyi. There was a clear time-dependent expression pattern of ByHSP10 in head kidney, spleen and thymus after bacteria challenge. The expression of mRNA reached the maximum level at the time point of 9 h, 6 h and 24 h, respectively and then returned to control level in 36 h. The up-regulated mRNA expression of ByHSP10 in humphead snapper after bacteria challenge indicated that the HSP10 gene was inducible and might be involved in immune response. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the ORF nucleotide sequences of HSP10 for 30 species. The relatonships among them were generally in agreement with the traditional taxonomy which suggested that HSP10 genes could aid in the system classification research.