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Fan W, Chen J, Cao Y, Tan J, Li J, Wang S, Jin P, Song X. A novel C-type lectin protein (BjCTL5) interacts with apoptosis stimulating proteins of p53 (ASPP) to activate NF-κB signaling pathway in primitive chordate. Dev Comp Immunol 2024; 156:105166. [PMID: 38521378 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2024.105166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
C-type lectin proteins (CTLs), a group of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), play pivotal roles in immune responses. However, the signal transduction and regulation of CTLs in cephalochordates have yet to be explored. In this study, we examined the composition of CTLs in Branchiostoma japonicum, identifying a total of 272 CTLs. These CTLs underwent further analysis concerning domain arrangement, tandem and segmental duplication events. A multidomain C-type lectin gene, designated as BjCTL5, encompassing CLECT, KR, CUB, MAM, and SR domains, was the focal point of our investigation. BjCTL5 exhibits ubiquitous expression across all detected tissues and is responsive to stimulation by LPS, mannose, and poly (I:C). The recombinant protein of BjCTL5 can bind to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, inducing their agglutination and inhibiting the proliferation of S. aureus. Yeast two-hybrid, CoIP, and confocal immunofluorescence experiments revealed the interaction between BjCTL5 and apoptosis-stimulating proteins of p53, BjASPP. Intriguingly, BjCTL5 was observed to induce the luciferase activity of the NF-κB promoter in HEK293T cells. These results suggested a potential interaction between BjCTL5 and BjASPP, implicating that they involve in the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, which provides an evolutionary viewpoint on NF-κB signaling pathway in primitive chordate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Fan
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Jianing Chen
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Yunpeng Cao
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Jiabo Tan
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Jinlong Li
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Su Wang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Ping Jin
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Xiaojun Song
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
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Machacova S, Kozmik Z, Kozmikova I. Identification of Nodal-dependent enhancer of amphioxus Chordin sufficient to drive gene expression into the chordate dorsal organizer. Dev Genes Evol 2022; 232:137-145. [PMID: 36372862 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-022-00698-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The core molecular mechanisms of dorsal organizer formation during gastrulation are highly conserved within the chordate lineage. One of the key characteristics is that Nodal signaling is required for the organizer-specific gene expression. This feature appears to be ancestral, as evidenced by the presence in the most basally divergent chordate amphioxus. To provide a better understanding of the evolution of organizer-specific gene regulation in chordates, we analyzed the cis-regulatory sequence of amphioxus Chordin in the context of the vertebrate embryo. First, we generated stable zebrafish transgenic lines, and by using light-sheet fluorescent microscopy, characterized in detail the expression pattern of GFP driven by the cis-regulatory sequences of amphioxus Chordin. Next, we performed a 5'deletion analysis and identified an enhancer sufficient to drive the expression of the reporter gene into a chordate dorsal organizer. Finally, we found that the identified enhancer element strongly depends on Nodal signaling, which is consistent with the well-established role of this pathway in the regulation of the expression of dorsal organizer-specific genes across chordates. The enhancer identified in our study may represent a suitable simple system to study the interplay of the evolutionarily conserved regulatory mechanisms operating during early chordate development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Machacova
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 4, Videnska, 1083, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Kozmik
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 4, Videnska, 1083, Czech Republic
| | - Iryna Kozmikova
- Laboratory of Transcriptional Regulation, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 4, Videnska, 1083, Czech Republic.
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Li J, Liu S, Zhang Y, Huang Q, Zhang H, OuYang J, Mao F, Fan H, Yi W, Dong M, Xu A, Huang S. Two novel mollusk short-form ApeC-containing proteins act as pattern recognition proteins for peptidoglycan. Front Immunol 2022; 13:971883. [PMID: 36275759 PMCID: PMC9585378 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.971883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Apextrin C-terminal (ApeC) domain is a new protein domain largely specific to aquatic invertebrates. In amphioxus, a short-form ApeC-containing protein (ACP) family is capable of binding peptidoglycan (PGN) and agglutinating bacteria via its ApeC domain. However, the functions of ApeC in other phyla remain unknown. Here we examined 130 ACPs from gastropods and bivalves, the first and second biggest mollusk classes. They were classified into nine groups based on their phylogenetics and architectures, including three groups of short-form ACPs, one group of apextrins and two groups of ACPs of complex architectures. No groups have orthologs in other phyla and only four groups have members in both gastropods and bivalves, suggesting that mollusk ACPs are highly diversified. We selected one bivalve ACP (CgACP1; from the oyster Crossostrea gigas) and one gastropod ACP (BgACP1; from the snail Biomphalaria glabrata) for functional experiments. Both are highly-expressed, secreted short-form ACPs and hence comparable to the amphioxus ACPs previously reported. We found that recombinant CgACP1 and BgACP1 bound with yeasts and several bacteria with different affinities. They also agglutinated these microbes, but showed no inhibiting or killing effects. Further analyses show that both ACPs had high affinities to the Lys-type PGN from S. aureus but weak or no affinities to the DAP-type PGN from Bacillus subtilis. Both recombinant ACPs displayed weak or no affinities to other microbial cell wall components, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), zymosan A, chitin, chitosan and cellulose, as well as to several PGN moieties, including muramyl dipeptide (MDP), N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc). Besides, CgACP1 had the highest expression in the gill and could be greatly up-regulated quickly after bacterial challenge. This is reminiscent of the amphioxus ACP1/2 which serve as essential mucus lectins in the gill. Taken together, the current findings from mollusk and amphioxus ACPs suggest several basic common traits for the ApeC domains, including the high affinity to Lys-type PGN, the bacterial binding and agglutinating capacity, and the role as mucus proteins to protect the mucosal surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Shumin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiuyun Huang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Jihua OuYang
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Fan Mao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiping Fan
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenjie Yi
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meiling Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anlong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Anlong Xu, ; Shengfeng Huang,
| | - Shengfeng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Anlong Xu, ; Shengfeng Huang,
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Abstract
The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor (GH/IGF) system, also called the pituitary-liver axis, has a somatotrophic role in the body. Although the GH/IGF system has always been regarded as a vertebrate-specific endocrine system, its actual origin remained unknown for a long time. The basal chordate, amphioxus, occupies an evolutionary position between vertebrates and invertebrates. Impressively, most of the members of the GH/IGF system are present in the amphioxus. The GH-like molecule in the amphioxus is mainly expressed in Hatschek's pit. It functions similarly to vertebrate GH and has a GH receptor-like binding partner. The amphioxus IGF-like peptide shows mitogenic activity and an expression pattern resembling that of vertebrate IGF-I. The receptor of IGF-like peptide and IGF binding protein (IGFBP) have also been demonstrated to exist in the amphioxus. These results reveal the origin of the gene families in the GH/IGF system, providing strong evidence that this system emerged in the amphioxus.
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Ma Z, Tan Y, Qu B, Gao Z, Zhang S. Identification of amphioxus protein disulfide isomerase as both an enzyme and an immunocompotent factor. Dev Comp Immunol 2022; 126:104238. [PMID: 34428528 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a member of the thioredoxin (TRX) superfamily, are broadly associated with immune responses in a variety of animals. However, it remains largely unknown about the direct roles of PDIs during a bacterial infection. In this study, we identified the presence of a single pdi gene in the amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum, Bjpdi. The deduced protein BjPDI is structurally characterized by the presence of four Trx-like domains in the order of a, b, b' and a' and a short acidic C-terminal tail, that are characteristic of PDIs. We demonstrated that rBjPDI displayed both thiol reductase and disulfide bond isomerase activities, indicating comparability of BjPDI with PDIs in term of enzymatic activities. We also showed that rBjPDI induced bacterial agglutination and exhibited a lectin-like activity capable of binding both bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus) and their signature molecules LPS and LTA. Furthermore, BjPDI could kill S. aureus via inducing membrane depolarization and intracellular ROS production in vitro, and treatment of amphioxus with a blocking anti-PDI antibody in vivo markedly reduced the survival rate of amphioxus following attack by S. aureus. Collectively, our study demonstrates that amphioxus protein disulfide isomerase acts as both an enzyme and an immunocompotent factor, and reports the specific function and mode of action of PDIs in immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengyu Ma
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Yunxia Tan
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Baozhen Qu
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Zhan Gao
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Shicui Zhang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, 266003, China.
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Sepe RM, Ghiron JHL, Zucchetti I, Caputi L, Tarallo R, Crocetta F, De Santis R, D'Aniello S, Sordino P. The EJC component Magoh in non-vertebrate chordates. Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:295-304. [PMID: 32632492 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-020-00664-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Earliest craniates possess a newly enlarged, elaborated forebrain with new cell types and neuronal networks. A key question in vertebrate evolution is when and how this cerebral expansion took place. The exon-junction complex (EJC) plays an essential role in mRNA processing of all Eukarya. Recently, it has been proposed that the EJC represses recursive RNA splicing in Deuterostomes, with implication in human brain diseases like microcephaly and depression. However, the EJC or EJC subunit contribution to brain development in non-vertebrate Deuterostomes remained unknown. Being interested in the evolution of chordate characters, we focused on the model species, Branchiostoma lanceolatum (Cephalochordata) and Ciona robusta (Tunicata), with the aim to investigate the ancestral and the derived expression state of Magoh orthologous genes. This study identifies that Magoh is part of a conserved syntenic group exclusively in vertebrates and suggests that Magoh has experienced duplication and loss events in mammals. During early development in amphioxus and ascidian, maternal contribution and zygotic expression of Magoh genes in various types of progenitor cells and tissues are consistent with the condition observed in other Bilateria. Later in development, we also show expression of Magoh in the brain of cephalochordate and ascidian larvae. Collectively, these results provide a basis to further define what functional role(s) Magoh exerted during nervous system development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Maria Sepe
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Jung Hee Levialdi Ghiron
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Ivana Zucchetti
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Caputi
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella Tarallo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabio Crocetta
- Department of Integrated Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Rosaria De Santis
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Paolo Sordino
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, 80121, Naples, Italy.
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Fu X, Wang R, Li M, Yan X, Huang H, Li J, Chen S, Yue Z, Chen S, Li Y, Dong M, Xu A, Huang S. Chordate PIAS proteins act as conserved repressors of the TRAF6 self-polyubiquitination. Dev Comp Immunol 2020; 104:103554. [PMID: 31758961 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, PIAS proteins are important SUMO E3 ligases and act as versatile regulators of over sixty different proteins, including components from the NF-κB pathways. But the PIAS functions are not well-understood due to complicated molecular mechanisms and multiple gene paralogs with overlapping roles, which is especially true in lower vertebrates where dedicated studies are scarce. As a basal chordate with a single PIAS gene, amphioxus is a convenient model to study PIAS from the evolutionary perspective. TRAF6 is a critical adaptor of the NF-κB pathways but it is not known whether TRAF6 is regulated by PIAS. Here we discover that in mammalian cells, amphioxus PIAS inhibited NF-κB activation by co-localizing and binding with TRAF6. The interaction relied on the N-terminal SAP and PINIT domains of PIAS. TRAF6 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase, which initiates downstream NF-κB signaling by promoting its self-ubiquitination. Both amphioxus SUMO1 and Ubc9 (SUMO E2 ligase) could suppress TRAF6 self-ubiquitination and NF-κB activation, suggesting that the SUMOylation activity competed away the ubiquitination activity of TRAF6. However, we show that the wild-type PIAS and the mutant PIAS without SUMO E3 ligase activity both could inhibit TRAF6-mediated NF-κB activation by reducing TRAF6 self-ubiquitination. This implies that SUMO ligase activity is not the only mechanism for PIAS to negatively regulate TRAF6. Finally, we tested the interactions between human PIAS1-4 and TRAF6. It reveals that human PIAS1, 3 and 4, but not 2, were able to repress NF-κB activation by reducing TRAF6 self-ubiquitination. Taken together, our study discovers a conserved regulatory interaction between chordate PIAS and TRAF6. It therefore sheds light on the complicated role of PIAS in immune regulation, and may help to understand the PIAS functions in other lower chordate taxa, such as jawless and jawed fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruihua Wang
- Center for Regenerative and Translational Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingshi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiqing Huang
- Guangdong Food and Drug Vocational College, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Shenghui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Zirui Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Shangwu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingqiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Meiling Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Anlong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China; Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dong San Huang Road, Chao-yang District, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shengfeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), China.
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Zhang QL, Ji XY, Li HW, Guo J, Wang F, Deng XY, Chen JY, Lin LB. Identification of circular RNAs and their altered expression under poly(I:C) challenge in key antiviral immune pathways in amphioxus. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2019; 86:1053-1057. [PMID: 30590167 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.12.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Amphioxus is a key model for studying comparative immunity of vertebrates. Circular RNA (circRNA), as RNAs with a circular structure, has received little attention until recently, where several studies have reported that circRNA expression changes are involved in the immune response in animals. However, circRNA and its immune role in amphioxus have not been previously studied. Here, circRNAs in Chinese amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri) were sequenced, and 1859 circRNAs were identified using two algorithms (find_circ and CIRI). The analysis of miRNA target sites on circRNAs showed that 332 circRNAs may function as miRNA sponges. Furthermore, we identified circRNAs that were conserved between B. belcheri and vertebrates, tracing the origin of these circRNAs within chordates. Additionally, in combination with several key antiviral immune (poly(I:C), pIC) pathways identified in our previous B. belcheri studies, nine circRNAs potentially involved in these pathways were identified using bioinformatic predictions. Among these nine circRNAs, eight were selected to examine their expression response in B. belcheri challenged by pIC in comparison to control using real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that four circRNAs were induced as part of the antiviral response against pIC, while expression of two circRNAs was decreased, and the expression levels of the remaining two were not significantly altered after pIC challenge. This work is the first to identify circRNAs and reveal their antiviral role in amphioxus. Therefore, it opens a new window to explore the comparative immunology of circRNAs in chordates and the regulatory roles of circRNAs in antiviral immunity in amphioxus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Lin Zhang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Xin-Yu Ji
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Hong-Wei Li
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jun Guo
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Xian-Yu Deng
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jun-Yuan Chen
- LPS, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lian-Bing Lin
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China.
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Ma X, Peng S, Zhou X, Li S, Jin P. The amphioxus ERK2 gene is involved in innate immune response to LPS stimulation. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2019; 86:64-69. [PMID: 30439498 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The ERK2 gene is a member of the MAPK family, which plays very important roles in responses to external environmental pressures. However, the ERK2 has yet not been identified in amphioxus to date. To further illuminate the function and evolutionary mechanism of the ERK2 gene, in this present study, we have cloned the full length of the ERK2 gene of Branchiostoma belcheri (designed as AmphiERK2), which is highly homologous to these vertebrate ERK2 genes. The AmphiERK2 protein contains the conserved S_TKc domain and the TEY motif, and its 3D structure is also highly similar to human ERK2 protein. Taken together, our results indicate that the AmphiERK2 gene belongs to a member of the ERK2 gene family. We further use qRT-PCR technology to detect an ubiquitous expression of AmphiERK2 gene in all five investigated tissues (muscle, notochord, gill, hepatic caecum and intestine), and the expression level of AmphiERK2 in both notochord and muscle is significantly higher than the other three tissues. Meanwhile our results also demonstrate that LPS stimulation can induce the up-regulation expression of AmphiERK2 gene and significantly increase the phosphorylation level of AmphiERK2 protein, which seems to imply that the AmphiERK2 may be involved in amphioxus innate immune responses. Overall, our findings provide an important insight into amphioxus innate immune function and evolution of the ERK2 gene family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Ma
- School of Food Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, 211171, China; The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Institute of Life Sciences, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Shuangli Peng
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Xue Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Nanjing Normal University Taizhou College, Taizhou, 225300, China
| | - Shengjie Li
- School of Food Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, 211171, China.
| | - Ping Jin
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046, China.
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10
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Chen M, Wang C, Li Z, Chen J. Involvement of JNK signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharide-induced complement C3 transcriptional activation from amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2019; 86:196-203. [PMID: 30458310 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Complement C3 is a pivotal component of three cascades of complement activation. C3 in circulation is mainly provided by the hepatic cecum. The expression and secretion of C3 by hepatocytes is increased during acute inflammation. The detailed information on the regulationary mechanism underlying C3 transcriptional activation is limited. Here, we characterized the 5'-flanking region of the amphioxus C3 gene. To functionally analyze the upstream regulatory region of the C3 gene, a series of luciferase reporter gene constructs containing deleted or mutant regulatory elements were prepared. Using luciferase assay, we revealed that a potential C-JUN-1 binding sites within the proximal promoter region were necessary for full activation of the C3 promoter, whereas NF-κB, AP-1, C-JUN-2 and NFAT transcription factor binding sites played roles in governing the promoter activity at a homeostatic level. Our data also indicated that sp600125, a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, decreased lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated C3 promoter activity, mRNA expression and protein secretion using western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR analysis. These findings demonstrated that JNK signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of C3 gene transcription by targeting C-JUN transcription factor binding sites in the 5'-flanking promoter region, leading to LPS-induced C3 activation and therefore providing a potential target for regulating C3 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingliang Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, 184 University Road, Xiamen, 361005, PR China; Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Huaihai Institute of Technology, Lianyungang, 222005, PR China.
| | - Chenying Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, 184 University Road, Xiamen, 361005, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science and Marine Biodiversity and Global Change Research Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361101, PR China
| | - Zengpeng Li
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, 184 University Road, Xiamen, 361005, PR China
| | - Jianming Chen
- Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, PR China.
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11
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Muslinkina L, Roldán-Salgado A, Gaytán P, Juárez-González VR, Rudiño E, Pletneva N, Pletnev V, Dauter Z, Pletnev S. Structural Factors Enabling Successful GFP-Like Proteins with Alanine as the Third Chromophore-Forming Residue. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:1397-1408. [PMID: 30797856 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
GFP-like proteins from lancelets (lanFPs) is a new and least studied group that already generated several outstanding biomarkers (mNeonGreen is the brightest FP to date) and has some unique features. Here, we report the study of four homologous lanFPs with GYG and GYA chromophores. Until recently, it was accepted that the third chromophore-forming residue in GFP-like proteins should be glycine, and efforts to replace it were in vain. Now, we have the first structure of a fluorescent protein with a successfully matured chromophore that has alanine as the third chromophore-forming residue. Consideration of the protein structures revealed two alternative routes of posttranslational transformation, resulting in either chromophore maturation or hydrolysis of GYG/GYA tripeptide. Both transformations are catalyzed by the same set of catalytic residues, Arg88 and Glu35-Wat-Glu211 cluster, whereas the residues in positions 62 and 102 shift the equilibrium between chromophore maturation and hydrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liya Muslinkina
- Basic Research Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Abigail Roldán-Salgado
- Departamento de Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Paul Gaytán
- Departamento de Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Víctor R Juárez-González
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Enrique Rudiño
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Nadya Pletneva
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir Pletnev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russian Federation
| | - Zbigniew Dauter
- Synchrotron Radiation Research Section Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Sergei Pletnev
- Basic Research Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
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12
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Wang P, Liu S, Yang Q, Liu Z, Zhang S. Functional Characterization of Thyrostimulin in Amphioxus Suggests an Ancestral Origin of the TH Signaling Pathway. Endocrinology 2018; 159:3536-3548. [PMID: 30192937 DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Thyrostimulin, consisting of GpA2 and GpB5 subunits, has been identified in amphioxus, but to date, little is known about the roles of GPA2/GPB5‒type hormone in this evolutionarily important animal. We showed here that amphioxus GpA2, GpB5, and TSH receptor (TSHR) represent the archetypes of vertebrate TSHα, TSHβ, and TSHR, respectively, and both gpa2 and gpb5 were coexpressed in the Hatschek pit, a homolog of the vertebrate pituitary, in amphioxus. We also showed that recombinant amphioxus GpA2 and GpB5, like zebrafish TSHα and TSHβ, bound to both amphioxus and zebrafish TSHR and that tethered amphioxus thyrostimulin activated both protein kinase A and protein kinase C pathways in the cells expressing amphioxus TSHR. Moreover, we demonstrated that recombinant amphioxus thyrostimulin induced the production of thyroid hormone (TH) T4. Because genuine TSH is absent in amphioxus and thyrostimulin is the only and sole glycoprotein hormone, our data likely provide evidence that amphioxus thyrostimulin is a functional glycoprotein hormone that plays a role as TSH does in vertebrates. The data also suggest that the TH signaling pathway evolved in the basal chordate more than 500 million years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Shousheng Liu
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Central Laboratories, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Qingyun Yang
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhenhui Liu
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Shicui Zhang
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
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13
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Jin P, Lv C, Peng S, Cai L, Zhu J, Ma F. Genome-wide organization, evolutionary diversification of the COMMD family genes of amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri) with the possible role in innate immunity. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2018; 77:31-39. [PMID: 29551666 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The COMMD (COpper Metabolism gene MURR1 Domain) gene family with ten members participates in various biological processes, such as the regulation of copper and sodium transport, NF-κB activity and cell cycle progression. However, studies on the COMMD gene family in amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri) are yet largely unknown. In this study, we have identified and characterized the ten COMMD family members from amphioxus (designated as AmphiCOMMDs). Firstly, we clone the full length of AmphiCOMMDs, and all AmphiCOMMD proteins contain the conserved COMM domain with two NES (Nuclear Export Signal) motifs. Secondly, the genomic structure analysis demonstrates that genes of the COMMD family have undergone intron loss and gain during the process of divergence from amphioxus to vertebrates. Thirdly, phylogenetic analysis indicates that AmphiCOMMDs are more closely related to vertebrates, implying the AmphiCOMMDs may be the ancestor of the vertebrate COMMDs. Fourthly, AmphiCOMMDs are ubiquitously and differentially expressed in five investigated tissues (muscles, gills, intestine, heaptic cecum and notochord). Finally, our results show that expression levels of AmphiCOMMD genes are fluctuating after LPS stimulation to some different extent. Taken together, our studies have elaborated the evolutionary dynamic and the innate immune role of the COMMD family genes in amphioxus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Jin
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Caiyun Lv
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Shuangli Peng
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Lu Cai
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Jiu Zhu
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Fei Ma
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
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14
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Zhang QL, Qiu HY, Liang MZ, Luo B, Wang XQ, Chen JY. Exploring gene expression changes in the amphioxus gill after poly(I:C) challenge using digital expression profiling. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2017; 70:57-65. [PMID: 28866273 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Amphioxus, a cephalochordate, is a key model animal for studying the evolution of vertebrate immunity. Recently, studies have revealed that microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles change significantly in the amphioxus gill after immune stimulation, but it remains largely unknown how gene expression responds to immune stress. Elucidating gene expression changes in the amphioxus gill will provide a deeper understanding of the evolution of gill immunity in vertebrates. Here, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing technology (RNA-seq) to conduct tag-based digital gene expression profiling (DGE) analyses of the gills of control Branchiostoma belcheri and of those exposed to the viral mimic, poly(I:C) (pIC). Six libraries were created for the control and treatment groups including three biological replicates per group. A total of 1999 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained, with 571 and 1428 DEGs showing up- or down-regulation, respectively, in the treatment group. Enrichment analysis of gene ontology (GO) terms and pathways revealed that the DEGs were primarily related to immune and defense response, apoptosis, human disease, cancer, protein metabolism, enzyme activity, and regulatory processes. In addition, eight DEGs were randomly selected to validate the RNA-seq data using real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), and the results confirmed the accuracy of the RNA-seq approach. Next, we screened eight key responding genes to examine the dynamic changes in expression levels at different time points in more detail. The results indicated that expressions of TRADD, MARCH, RNF31, NF-κb, CYP450, TNFRSF6B, IFI and LECT1 were induced to participate in the antiviral response against pIC. This study provides a valuable resource for understanding the role of the amphioxus gill in antiviral immunity and the evolution of gill immunity in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023 China.
| | - Han-Yue Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023 China
| | - Ming-Zhong Liang
- Department of Marine Science, Qinzhou University, Qinzhou, 535000 China
| | - Bang Luo
- Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, 530000 China
| | - Xiu-Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023 China; LPS, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, CAS, Nanjing, 210008 China
| | - Jun-Yuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023 China; LPS, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, CAS, Nanjing, 210008 China.
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15
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Wang P, Wang M, Ji G, Yang S, Zhang S, Liu Z. Demonstration of a Functional Kisspeptin/Kisspeptin Receptor System in Amphioxus With Implications for Origin of Neuroendocrine Regulation. Endocrinology 2017; 158:1461-1473. [PMID: 28324048 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Amphioxus belongs to the Cephalochordata, which is the most basal subphylum of the chordates. Despite many studies on the endocrine system of amphioxus, key information about its regulation remains ambiguous. Here we clearly demonstrate the presence of a functional kisspeptin/kisspeptin receptor (Kiss-Kissr) system, which is involved in the regulation of reproduction in amphioxus. Evolutionary analyses revealed large expansion of Kiss and Kissr (gpr54) genes in amphioxus, and they might represent the ancestral type of the Kiss/gpr54 genes in chordates. Amphioxus Kiss was obviously expression at the cerebral vesicle and the Hatschek pit, whereas amphioxus gpr54 messenger RNA (mRNA) was abundantly present in nerve cord, ovary, and testes. Amphioxus GPR54-Like1 (GPR54L-1) was shown to be located on the cell membrane. The synthetic amphioxus Kiss-like (KissL) peptides were capable of activating the amphioxus GPR54L-1 with different potencies, hinting the interaction between Kiss and GPR54. Moreover, the expression of amphioxus gpr54 mRNA was significantly decreased during low or high temperature extremes. Importantly, the injection of amphioxus KissL could cause an elevation of zebrafish blood luteinizing hormone level and induce the expression of amphioxus gpb5, a gene encoding the ancestral type of vertebrate pituitary glycoprotein hormones. Also, the expression levels of BjkissL-2 or Bjgpr54L-1 were downregulated after spermiation or spawning. Collectively, the amphioxus Kiss-Kissr system has a correlation with the regulation of reproduction. Our studies provide insights into the functional roles and evolutionary history of the Kiss-Kissr system, as well as the origin of the vertebrate neuroendocrine axis for controlling reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Guangdong Ji
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shuangshuang Yang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shicui Zhang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Zhenhui Liu
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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16
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Albuixech-Crespo B, López-Blanch L, Burguera D, Maeso I, Sánchez-Arrones L, Moreno-Bravo JA, Somorjai I, Pascual-Anaya J, Puelles E, Bovolenta P, Garcia-Fernàndez J, Puelles L, Irimia M, Ferran JL. Molecular regionalization of the developing amphioxus neural tube challenges major partitions of the vertebrate brain. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2001573. [PMID: 28422959 PMCID: PMC5396861 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
All vertebrate brains develop following a common Bauplan defined by anteroposterior (AP) and dorsoventral (DV) subdivisions, characterized by largely conserved differential expression of gene markers. However, it is still unclear how this Bauplan originated during evolution. We studied the relative expression of 48 genes with key roles in vertebrate neural patterning in a representative amphioxus embryonic stage. Unlike nonchordates, amphioxus develops its central nervous system (CNS) from a neural plate that is homologous to that of vertebrates, allowing direct topological comparisons. The resulting genoarchitectonic model revealed that the amphioxus incipient neural tube is unexpectedly complex, consisting of several AP and DV molecular partitions. Strikingly, comparison with vertebrates indicates that the vertebrate thalamus, pretectum, and midbrain domains jointly correspond to a single amphioxus region, which we termed Di-Mesencephalic primordium (DiMes). This suggests that these domains have a common developmental and evolutionary origin, as supported by functional experiments manipulating secondary organizers in zebrafish and mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Albuixech-Crespo
- Department of Genetics, School of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura López-Blanch
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Demian Burguera
- Department of Genetics, School of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Maeso
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CSIC/UPO/JA), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luisa Sánchez-Arrones
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM and CIBERER, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Ildiko Somorjai
- The Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | | | - Eduardo Puelles
- Instituto de Neurociencias, UMH-CSIC, Campus de San Juan, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM and CIBERER, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez
- Department of Genetics, School of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Puelles
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB), Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Ferran
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia (IMIB), Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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Pathirana A, Diao M, Huang S, Zuo L, Liang Y. Alpha 2 macroglobulin is a maternally-derived immune factor in amphioxus embryos: New evidence for defense roles of maternal immune components in invertebrate chordate. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2016; 50:21-26. [PMID: 26796816 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.10.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In fish, a series of maternal derived immune components have been identified in their eggs or embryos at very early stages, which are proposed to provide protections to themselves against pathogenic attacks from hostile environment. The phenomenon of maternal immunity has been also recorded in several invertebrate species, however, so far, very limited information about the maternal immune molecules are available. In this study, it was demonstrated maternal alpha2 macroglobulin (A2m) protein, an important innate immune factor, exists in the fertilized eggs of amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum, an invertebrate chordate. Maternal mRNA of A2m was also detected in amphioxus embryos at very early developing stages. In addition, it was recorded that the egg lysate prepared from the newly fertilized eggs can inhibit the growth of both Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus in a concentration dependent manner. The bacteriostatic activity can be reduced notably after precipitated A2m with anti-A2m antibody. Thus maternal A2m is partly attributed to the bacteriostatic activity. It was further demonstrated that recombinant A2m can bind to E. coli cells directly. All these points come to a result that A2m is a maternal immune factor existing in eggs of invertebrate chordate, which may be involved in defense their embryos against harmful microbes' attacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjalika Pathirana
- College of Marine Life Science and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Mingyue Diao
- College of Marine Life Science and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Shibo Huang
- College of Marine Life Science and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Lingling Zuo
- College of Marine Life Science and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Yujun Liang
- College of Marine Life Science and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
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18
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Osugi T, Son YL, Ubuka T, Satake H, Tsutsui K. RFamide peptides in agnathans and basal chordates. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 227:94-100. [PMID: 26130238 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since a peptide with a C-terminal Arg-Phe-NH2 (RFamide peptide) was first identified in the ganglia of the venus clam in 1977, RFamide peptides have been found in the nervous system of both invertebrates and vertebrates. In vertebrates, the RFamide peptide family includes gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), neuropeptide FF (NPFF), prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP), pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide/26RFamide peptide (QRFP/26RFa), and kisspeptins (kiss1 and kiss2). They are involved in important functions such as the release of hormones, regulation of sexual or social behavior, pain transmission, reproduction, and feeding. In contrast to tetrapods and jawed fish, the information available on RFamide peptides in agnathans and basal chordates is limited, thus preventing further insights into the evolution of RFamide peptides in vertebrates. In this review, we focus on the previous research and recent advances in the studies on RFamide peptides in agnathans and basal chordates. In agnathans, the genes encoding GnIH, NPFF, and PrRP precursors and the mature peptides have been identified in lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and hagfish (Paramyxine atami). Putative kiss1 and kiss2 genes have also been found in the genome database of lamprey. In basal chordates, namely, in amphioxus (Branchiostoma japonicum), a common ancestral form of GnIH and NPFF genes and their mature peptides, as well as the ortholog of the QRFP gene have been identified. The studies revealed that the number of orthologs of vertebrate RFamide peptides present in agnathans and basal chordates is greater than expected, suggesting that the vertebrate RFamide peptides might have emerged and expanded at an early stage of chordate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Osugi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan.
| | - You Lee Son
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Ubuka
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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Song X, Du J, Zhu W, Jin P, Ma F. Identification and characterization of an apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (ASPP) gene from Branchiostoma belcheri: Insights into evolution of ASPP gene family. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2016; 49:268-274. [PMID: 26747639 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The ASPP (apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53) protein family plays very key roles in apoptosis regulation, in both p53-dependent and p53-independent pathways. However, the ASPP homologous gene has not been identified in amphioxus to date. Here, we identified and characterized an ASPP gene from Branchiostoma belcheri (designed as AmphiASPP) and extensively studied its evolution and roles involved in innate immunity. The results showed that the amphioxus genome has an ASPP homolog gene with an ORF of 3285 bp, encoding 1094 amino acids which contains ANK repeats and SK3 domain. The evolutionary analyses indicated that the members of ASPP protein family might be present in a common ancestor of Nematostella vectensis and underwent positive selective in the evolutionary history. In addition, the amphioxus ASPP gene was ubiquitously and differentially expressed in five investigated tissues, and the amphioxus ASPP gene was involved in the innate immune response of LPS and LTA stimulation. Finally, bioinformatic analyses displayed that amphioxus ASPP protein could interact with REL protein by conserved binding sites compared with human ASPP2 protein, which seemed to further suggest that the amphioxus ASPP protein involve in innate immunity through NF-кB signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings provided an insight into the evolution and innate immunity function of the ASPP family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Song
- College of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, PR China; Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China.
| | - Juan Du
- College of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, PR China
| | - Wei Zhu
- College of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, PR China
| | - Ping Jin
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China
| | - Fei Ma
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China.
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20
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Yuan S, Ruan J, Huang S, Chen S, Xu A. Amphioxus as a model for investigating evolution of the vertebrate immune system. Dev Comp Immunol 2015; 48:297-305. [PMID: 24877655 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
As the most basal chordate, the cephalochordate amphioxus has unique features that make it a valuable model for understanding the phylogeny of immunity. Vertebrate adaptive immunity (VAI) mediated by lymphocytes bearing variable receptors has been well-studied in mammals but not observed in invertebrates. However, the identification of lymphocyte-like cells in the gill along with genes related with lymphoid proliferation and differentiation indicates the presence of some basic components of VAI in amphioxus. Without VAI, amphioxus utilizes about 10% of its gene repertoires, and an ongoing domain reshuffling mechanism among these genes, for innate immunity, suggesting extraordinary innate complexity and diversity not observed in other species. Innate diversity may not be comparable to the somatic diversity of the VAI, but there is no doubt of the success of this immune system, since amphioxus has existed for over 500 million years. Studies of amphioxus immunity may provide information on the reduction of innate immune complexity and the conflict between microbiota and host shaped the evolution of adaptive immune systems (AIS) during chordate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaochun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Ruan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengfeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Shangwu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Anlong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China; Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China.
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Hirsinger E, Carvalho JE, Chevalier C, Lutfalla G, Nicolas JF, Peyriéras N, Schubert M. Expression of fluorescent proteins in Branchiostoma lanceolatum by mRNA injection into unfertilized oocytes. J Vis Exp 2015:52042. [PMID: 25650764 PMCID: PMC4354527 DOI: 10.3791/52042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here a robust and efficient protocol for the expression of fluorescent proteins after mRNA injection into unfertilized oocytes of the cephalochordate amphioxus, Branchiostoma lanceolatum. We use constructs for membrane and nuclear targeted mCherry and eGFP that have been modified to accommodate amphioxus codon usage and Kozak consensus sequences. We describe the type of injection needles to be used, the immobilization protocol for the unfertilized oocytes, and the overall injection set-up. This technique generates fluorescently labeled embryos, in which the dynamics of cell behaviors during early development can be analyzed using the latest in vivo imaging strategies. The development of a microinjection technique in this amphioxus species will allow live imaging analyses of cell behaviors in the embryo as well as gene-specific manipulations, including gene overexpression and knockdown. Altogether, this protocol will further consolidate the basal chordate amphioxus as an animal model for addressing questions related to the mechanisms of embryonic development and, more importantly, to their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Hirsinger
- Département de Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, Institut Pasteur
| | - João Emanuel Carvalho
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (UMR7009 CNRS/UPMC Univ Paris 06), Sorbonne Universités
| | - Christine Chevalier
- Département de Biologie du Développement et Cellules Souches, Institut Pasteur; Equipe Epigenetic Control of Normal and Pathological Hematopoiesis, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille
| | - Georges Lutfalla
- Unité de Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, CNRS UMR5235/DAA/cc107/Université Montpellier II
| | | | - Nadine Peyriéras
- Plateforme BioEmergences IBiSA FBI, CNRS-NED, Institut de Neurobiologie Alfred Fessard;
| | - Michael Schubert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (UMR7009 CNRS/UPMC Univ Paris 06), Sorbonne Universités
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22
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Abstract
Amphioxus belongs to the subphylum cephalochordata, an extant representative of the most basal chordates. Despite many studies on the endocrine system of amphioxus, no evidence showed the presence of pituitary hormones. In this study, we clearly demonstrated the existence of a functional GH-like hormone in amphioxus, which is able to bind purified GH receptors, stimulate IGF-I expression, promote growth rate of fish, and rescue embryonic defects caused by a shortage of GH. We also showed the presence of a GH/prolactin-like-binding protein containing the entire hormone binding domain of GH/prolactin receptors in amphioxus, which is widely expressed among tissues, and interacts with the GH-like hormone. It is clear from these results that the GH/GH receptor-like system is present in amphioxus and, hence, in all classes of chordates. Notably, the GH-like hormone appears to be the only member of the vertebrate pituitary hormones family in amphioxus, suggesting that the hormone is the ancestral peptide that originated first in the molecular evolution of the pituitary hormones family in chordates. These data collectively suggest that a vertebrate-like neuroendocrine axis setting has already emerged in amphioxus, which lays a foundation for subsequent formation of hypothalamic-pituitary system in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyang Li
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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23
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Wang S, Li F, Hu L, Liu S, Li H, Zhang S. Structural and functional characterization of a TGFβ molecule from amphioxus reveals an ancient origin of both immune-enhancing and -inhibitory functions. Dev Comp Immunol 2014; 45:219-226. [PMID: 24657208 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Revised: 03/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is a pleiotropic cytokine with important roles in mediating inflammatory response. TGFβ has been shown to be widely present in invertebrates, but little is known about its functions in immune and inflammatory responses. Moreover, structural and functional insights into TGFβ molecules in invertebrates remain completely lacking. Here we demonstrate the presence of a single TGFβ-like gene in the amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum, Bjtgfβ, which represents the archetype of vertebrate TGFβ proteins, and displays a higher expression in the hind-gut, hepatic caecum, ovary, and gill. We also show that amphioxus TGFβ exerts both enhancing and suppressing effects on the migration of macrophages like RAW264.7, and the motif WSTD is important for TGFβ in inducing or inhibiting the migration of macrophages. Altogether, these data suggest that amphioxus TGFβ is phylogenetically and functionally similar to vertebrate TGFβ, suggesting an ancient origin of bipolar function of TGFβ proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Wang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Fengzhen Li
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lili Hu
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shousheng Liu
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hongyan Li
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shicui Zhang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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Osugi T, Okamura T, Son YL, Ohkubo M, Ubuka T, Henmi Y, Tsutsui K. Evolutionary origin of GnIH and NPFF in chordates: insights from novel amphioxus RFamide peptides. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100962. [PMID: 24983238 PMCID: PMC4077772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a newly identified hypothalamic neuropeptide that inhibits pituitary hormone secretion in vertebrates. GnIH has an LPXRFamide (X = L or Q) motif at the C-terminal in representative species of gnathostomes. On the other hand, neuropeptide FF (NPFF), a neuropeptide characterized as a pain-modulatory neuropeptide, in vertebrates has a PQRFamide motif similar to the C-terminal of GnIH, suggesting that GnIH and NPFF have diverged from a common ancestor. Because GnIH and NPFF belong to the RFamide peptide family in vertebrates, protochordate RFamide peptides may provide important insights into the evolutionary origin of GnIH and NPFF. In this study, we identified a novel gene encoding RFamide peptides and two genes of their putative receptors in the amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and synteny analysis indicated that these genes are closely related to the genes of GnIH and NPFF and their receptors of vertebrates. We further identified mature RFamide peptides and their receptors in protochordates. The identified amphioxus RFamide peptides inhibited forskolin induced cAMP signaling in the COS-7 cells with one of the identified amphioxus RFamide peptide receptors expressed. These results indicate that the identified protochordate RFamide peptide gene is a common ancestral form of GnIH and NPFF genes, suggesting that the origin of GnIH and NPFF may date back to the time of the emergence of early chordates. GnIH gene and NPFF gene may have diverged by whole-genome duplication in the course of vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Osugi
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoki Okamura
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - You Lee Son
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Ohkubo
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Ubuka
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Henmi
- Aitsu Marine Station, Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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25
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Karabinos A, Schünemann J. Unusual ultrastructures of the Branchiostoma IF protein C2 containing heptads in the tail. Protoplasma 2014; 251:985-988. [PMID: 24414169 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-013-0608-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/21/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Branchiostoma intermediate filament (IF) protein C2 contains a long tail domain consisting of several degenerate repeats which display a heptad repeat pattern. This unique tail sequence is predicted to constitute a long coiled coil domain in C2, which is separated from the rod by a glycine-rich linker L3. The recombinant IF protein C2 shows, in electron microscopy (EM), parallel rodlike dimers of 66.7 nm decorated by a larger globule on one side and a smaller globule on the other side. In contrast, the length of the tailless C2 dimers, decorated by only one small globule, is about 26 nm shorter. These results indicate that both the rod domain and the newly predicted coiled coil segment 3 participate in the formation of a double-stranded coiled coil dimer. Moreover, the two to four C2 dimers are able to associate via their globular tail domain into multiarm oligomers, an ability not seen by the tailless C2 mutant or the other currently known protostomic and vertebrate IFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Karabinos
- SEMBID, s.r.o.-Research Center of Applied Biomedical Diagnostics, Masarykova 16, 08001, Prešov, Slovakia,
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26
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Yang P, Huang S, Yan X, Huang G, Dong X, Zheng T, Yuan D, Wang R, Li R, Tan Y, Xu A. Origin of the phagocytic respiratory burst and its role in gut epithelial phagocytosis in a basal chordate. Free Radic Biol Med 2014; 70:54-67. [PMID: 24560860 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate phagocytic respiratory burst (PRB) is a highly specific and efficient mechanism for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This mechanism is mediated by NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and used by vertebrate phagocytic leukocytes to destroy internalized microbes. Here we demonstrate the presence of the PRB in a basal chordate, the amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense (bbt). We show that using the antioxidant NAC to scavenge the production of ROS significantly decreased the survival rates of infected amphioxus, indicating that ROS are indispensable for efficient antibacterial responses. Amphioxus NOX enzymes and cytosolic factors were found to colocalize in the epithelial cells of the gill, intestine, and hepatic cecum and could be upregulated after exposure to microbial pathogens. The ROS production in epithelial cell lysates could be reconstructed by supplementing recombinant cytosolic factors, including bbt-p47phox, bbt-p67phox, bbt-p47phox, and bbt-Rac; the restored ROS production could be inhibited by anti-bbt-NOX2 and anti-bbt-p67phox antibodies. We also reveal that the gut epithelial lining cells of the amphioxus are competent at bacterial phagocytosis, and there is evidence that the PRB machinery could participate in the initiation of this phagocytic process. In conclusion, we report the presence of the classical PRB machinery in nonvertebrates and provide the first evidence for the possible role of PRB in epithelial cell immunity and phagocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Shengfeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Guangrui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Xiangru Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Tingting Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Dongjuan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Ruihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Rui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Ying Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China
| | - Anlong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People׳s Republic of China; Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, People׳s Republic of China.
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27
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Bayliss AL, Evans PD. Characterisation of AmphiAmR11, an amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) D2-dopamine-like G protein-coupled receptor. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80833. [PMID: 24265838 PMCID: PMC3827198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of the biogenic amine signalling system in vertebrates is unclear. However, insights can be obtained from studying the structures and signalling properties of biogenic amine receptors from the protochordate, amphioxus, which is an invertebrate species that exists at the base of the chordate lineage. Here we describe the signalling properties of AmphiAmR11, an amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) G protein-coupled receptor which has structural similarities to vertebrate α2-adrenergic receptors but which functionally acts as a D2 dopamine-like receptor when expressed in Chinese hamster ovary -K1 cells. AmphiAmR11 inhibits forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP levels with tyramine, phenylethylamine and dopamine being the most potent agonists. AmphiAmR11 also increases mitogen-activated protein kinase activity and calcium mobilisation, and in both pathways, dopamine was found to be more potent than tyramine. Thus, differences in the relative effectiveness of various agonists in the different second messenger assay systems suggest that the receptor displays agonist-specific coupling (biased agonism) whereby different agonists stabilize different conformations of the receptor which lead to the enhancement of one signalling pathway over another. The present study provides insights into the evolution of α2-adrenergic receptor signalling and support the hypothesis that α2-adrenergic receptors evolved from D2-dopamine receptors. The AmphiAmR11 receptor may represent a transition state between D2-dopamine receptors and α2-adrenergic receptors.
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MESH Headings
- Adenylyl Cyclases/metabolism
- Animals
- CHO Cells
- Calcium/metabolism
- Calcium Signaling/drug effects
- Cricetulus
- Cyclic AMP/metabolism
- Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists
- Lancelets/genetics
- Lancelets/metabolism
- Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism
- Pertussis Toxin/pharmacology
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/agonists
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/genetics
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/agonists
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/genetics
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/agonists
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha L. Bayliss
- The Signalling Laboratory, the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Peter D. Evans
- The Signalling Laboratory, the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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28
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Gao Z, Li M, Wu J, Zhang S. Interplay between invertebrate C3a with vertebrate macrophages: functional characterization of immune activities of amphioxus C3a. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2013; 35:1249-1259. [PMID: 23954696 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2013.07.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Our current knowledge of the structure and function of C3a comes from the study of vertebrate C3a anaphylatoxins, virtually nothing is known about the structure and function of C3a molecules in invertebrates. Here we demonstrated that C3a from the invertebrate chordate Branchiostoma japonicum, BjC3a, was similar to vertebrate C3a possessing potential antibacterial activity, as revealed by sequence analysis and computational modeling. The antibacterial activity of BjC3a was definitely confirmed by both antibacterial assay and TEM observation showing that recombinant BjC3a was directly bactericidal. Additionally, recombinant BjC3a, like vertebrate C3a, was capable of inducing sea bass macrophage migration and enhancing macrophage phagocytosis and respiratory burst response. Moreover, recombinant BjC3a-desArg (generated by removal of the C-terminal arginine), like mammalian C3a-desArg, retained the immunological activities of BjC3a such as antibacterial and respiratory burst-stimulating activities, indicating that the immunological functions of C3a-desArg were conserved throughout chordate evolution. Altogether, our findings show that invertebrate (amphioxus) BjC3a is able to interact with vertebrate (sea bass) macrophages and mediate immune activities, suggesting the emergence of the inflammatory pathway of the complement system similar to that of vertebrates in the basal chordate amphioxus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Gao
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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29
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Liu X, Xu N, Zhang S. Calreticulin is a microbial-binding molecule with phagocytosis-enhancing capacity. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2013; 35:776-784. [PMID: 23791863 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2013.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Calreticulin (CRT) is a highly conserved calcium-binding protein mainly involved in directing proper conformation of proteins and controlling calcium level. Accumulating data also show that CRT is emerging as an immune-relevant molecule. In this study, we demonstrated that the CRT gene from the amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum, named Bjcrt, consisted of a signal peptide, three domains (N-, P-, C-domains) and an ER retrieval signal sequence (KDEL), which appears to be the ancient form of vertebrate CRTs, and Bjcrt was expressed in a tissue-specific manner, with the most abundant expression in the notochord. We also demonstrated for the first time that the recombinant BjCRT (rBjCRT) was able to bind the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, both BjCRT as well as human recombinant calreticulin were able to promote the phagocytosis of E. coli and S. aureus by sea bass macrophages. These results indicate that CRT is a microbial-binding molecule and possesses an ability to enhance phagocytosis, a novel function assigned to CRT, reenforcing the notion that CRT is an immune-relevant molecule associated with host immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Liu
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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