Cloning and expression analysis of p26 gene in Artemia sinica

NF-κB-coupled IL17 mediates inflammatory signaling and intestinal inflammation in Artemia sinica

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) plays a role as a rheostatic transcription factor in regulating intestinal inflammation, and its disruption or constitutive activation leads to inflammation and injury. However, the molecular mechanisms of NF-κB regulation remain largely unknown. In this study, the NF-κB-regulated host defenses against pathogen infections and facilitation of IL17 expression during stimulation with different bacteria were investigated. Intestinal inflammation was induced by dextran sulfate sodium, and NF-κB activity was inhibited in an intestinal injury model. Mannose receptor C type, ABF1/2, serpin B13, lysozyme, and β-arrestin were significantly controlled by NF-κB in the inflamed intestinal tissue. High levels of NF-κB activation resulted in less pervasive intestinal damage and the maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity. Intestinal injury robustly increased the expression of IL17. NF-κB activation was enhanced by IL17 deficiency in the intestinal injury model. IL17 inhibition aggravated intestinal inflammation, leading to loss of epithelial architecture and the infiltration of inflammatory cells. These data suggest that NF-κB and IL17 play key mediator roles in the maintenance of gut epithelial integrity and immune homeostasis.

Antibiotics reduce bacterial load in Exaiptasia diaphana, but biofilms hinder its development as a gnotobiotic coral model

Coral reefs are declining due to anthropogenic disturbances, including climate change. Therefore, improving our understanding of coral ecosystems is vital, and the influence of bacteria on coral health has attracted particular interest. However, a gnotobiotic coral model that could enhance studies of coral–bacteria interactions is absent. To address this gap, we tested the ability of treatment with seven antibiotics for 3 weeks to deplete bacteria in Exaiptasia diaphana, a sea anemone widely used as a coral model. Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) targeting anemone Ef1-α and bacterial 16S rRNA genes was used to quantify bacterial load, which was found to decrease six-fold. However, metabarcoding of bacterial 16S rRNA genes showed that alpha and beta diversity of the anemone-associated bacterial communities increased significantly. Therefore, gnotobiotic E. diaphana with simplified, uniform bacterial communities were not generated, with biofilm formation in the culture vessels most likely impeding efforts to eliminate bacteria. Despite this outcome, our work will inform future efforts to create a much needed gnotobiotic coral model.

Expression pattern of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 and regulation to antibacterial factor ABF-1/2 in response to bacterial challenge from Artemia parthenogenetica

Mitogen-activated protein kinase 4, MKK4, is a key upstream kinase in the JNK/p38 MAPK pathway that has been reported to participate in multiple immune responses. In this study, the gene that encodes ApMKK4 was isolated and identified from Artemia parthenogenetica. It was found to contain a 1134 bp open reading frame encoding 378 amino acids. The predicted protein contains D domain, DVD domain and kinase domain. Homology analysis revealed that ApMKK4 shares 38-69% identity with MKK4 homologs from other species. Results revealed that ApMKK4 was mainly expressed during early development of which highest at the gastrula stage. After challenged by Vibrio harveyi and Micrococcus lysodeikticus, ApMKK4 was remarkably upregulated at 10 and 10³ cfu/mL bacterial concentrations, respectively. Through siRNAi, the transcript level of ApMKK4 was significantly decreased by 46-67%. Intriguingly, when the ApMKK4-knockdown nauplii faced with bacterial stimulation, the expression of ApMKK4 was completely restored in a short time. Moreover, this phenomenon also occurred in related antimicrobial peptide genes, ABF-1 and ABF-2. Our research reveals that ApMKK4 plays a pivotal role during early development and immune responses against bacterial infections.

Comparative analysis of two brine shrimps revealed differential expression pattern and functional characterization of CK2α under bacterial stimulation from different geographical distribution

Understanding how the brine shrimp responds to different geographical populations can provide novel insights on response to bacterial stimulation. In the paper, Artemia sinica from lower altitudes and Artemia parthenogenetica from higher altitudes of the Tibetan Plateau, were used to illustrate different defense against bacteria mechanisms that these organisms used to adapt to different geographical environments. Protein kinase CK2 is a serine/threonine kinase with a multitude of protein substrates. It is a ubiquitous enzyme essential for the viability of eukaryotic cells, where its functions in a variety of cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, apoptosis, transcription, and viral infection. The gene encodes the same mRNA sequence in A. sinica and A. parthenogenetica, named AsCK2α and ApCK2α, respectively. The open reading frame was obtained, a 1047-bp sequence encoding a predicted protein of 349 amino acids. To systematically analyze the expression of AsCK2α and ApCK2α during embryonic development and bacterial challenge, real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed. The results showed that AsCK2α was higher than ApCK2α at different developmental stages. Under bacterial challenge, the expression of ApCK2α was significantly higher than AsCK2α. Protein localization analysis showed that AsCK2α and ApCK2α were mainly distributed in the head and chest. Our research revealed that CK2α plays a vital role in the growth, development and bacterial stimulation of the brine shrimp.

Transcriptome analysis of Artemia sinica in response to Micrococcus lysodeikticus infection

To enhance genomic resources and understand the molecular immune mechanisms underlying the response topathogens, we first performed a comparative gene transcription analysis from Micrococcus lysodeikticus-immunized Artemia sinica and from a control group through RNA-Seq technology, meanwhile the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were investigated. In total, 80, 113, 984 clean reads were obtained and then assembled into 71,536 unigenes with an average length of 1115 bp and an N50 of 1783 bp. Unigenes were annotated by comparing against nr, Swiss-Prot\KEGG\ COG\ KOG\ GO and Pfam databases, and 27,689 unigenes (38.7%) were annotated in at least one database. After bacterial challenge, 183 and 298 genes were identified as remarkably up-regulated or down-regulated, respectively, amongst 481 were associated with 168 pathways, including classical immune-related pathways, such as 'Toll-like receptor signaling', 'the complement cascades', 'MAPK signaling pathway' and 'Apoptosis'. Besides, eight genes which were differently expressed immune-related were confirmed by using quantitative real-time PCR. This study characterized a gene expression pattern for normal and M. lysodeikticus -immunized A. sinica for the first time and sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms thus enabling future efforts on disease control programs in this valuable aquaculture species.

The Potential Roles of the Apoptosis-Related Protein PDRG1 in Diapause Embryo Restarting of Artemia sinica

High salinity and low temperatures can induce Artemia sinica to enter the diapause stage during embryonic development. Diapause embryos stop at the gastrula stage, allowing them to resist apoptosis and regulate cell cycle activity to guarantee normal development after diapause termination. P53 and DNA damage-regulated gene 1 (pdrg1) is involved in cellular physiological activities, such as apoptosis, DNA damage repair, cell cycle regulation, and promotion of programmed cell death. However, the role of pdrg1 in diapause and diapause termination in A. sinica remains unknown. Here, the full-length A. sinica pdrg1 cDNA (As-pdrg1) was obtained and found to contain 1119 nucleotides, including a 228 bp open reading frame (ORF), a 233 bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR), and a 658-bp 3'-UTR, which encodes a 75 amino acid protein. In situ hybridization showed no tissue specific expression of As-pdrg1. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting analyses of As-pdrg1 gene and protein expression showed high levels at 15-20 h of embryo development and a subsequent downward trend. Low temperatures upregulated As-pdrg1 expression. RNA interference for the pdrg1 gene in Artemia embryos caused significant developmental hysteresis. Thus, PDRG1 plays an important role in diapause termination and cell cycle regulation in early embryonic development of A. sinica.

Cloning, expression pattern and functional characterization of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4, an important mediator of the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, from Artemia sinica

As a crucial component of Toll-like receptor (TLR)/interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) signaling pathways, IL-1R--associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) plays a central role in innate immunity and embryonic development. Herein, we have characterized the full length cDNA of IRAK4 from Artemia sinica. Molecular characterization revealed that the sequence includes a 2550 bp open reading frame, encoding a predicted protein of 849 amino acids. The predicted protein contains a death domain in the N-terminus and two serine/threonine/tyrosine protein kinasedomains. Bioinformatics analysis showed that it belonged to a new member of the IRAK-4 family. The expression of AsIRAK-4 was researched in various stages during embryonic development by several molecular biology methods including real time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that AsIRAK-4 was constitutively expressed at all developmental stages from embryo to adult, and it was mainly expressed in the head and thorax at the early stages and on the surface of the alimentary canal at later stages. The highest expression level was at the 0 h, 15 h and 5 d stages of A. sinica. While challenged by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, AsIRAK-4 was remarkably upregulated with the rising concentration of bacteria. Our research revealed that AsIRAK-4 plays a vital role in growth, development and innate immunity of A. sinica.

APC/CCDC20 and APC/C play pivotal roles in the process of embryonic development in Artemia sinica

Anaphase Promoting Complex or Cyclosome (APC/C) is a representative E3 ubiquitin ligase, triggering the transition of metaphase to anaphase by regulating degradation and ensures the exit from mitosis. Cell division cycle 20 (CDC20) and Cell division cycle 20 related protein 1 (CDH1), as co-activators of APC/C, play significant roles in the spindle assembly checkpoint, guiding ubiquitin-mediated degradation, together with CDC23. During the embryonic development of the brine shrimp, Artemia sinica, CDC20, CDH1 and CDC23 participate in cell cycle regulation, but the specific mechanisms of their activities remain unknown. Herein, the full-length cDNAs of cdc20 and cdc23 from A. sinica were cloned. Real-time PCR analyzed the expression levels of As-cdc20 and As-cdc23. The locations of CDH1, CDC20 and CDC23 showed no tissue or organ specificity. Furthermore, western blotting showed that the levels of As-CDC20, securin, cyclin B, CDK1, CDH1, CDC14B, CDC23 and geminin proteins conformed to their complicated degradation relationships during different embryo stages. Our research revealed that As-CDC20, As-CDH1 and APC mediate the mitotic progression, downstream proteins degradation and cellular differentiation in the process of embryonic development in A. sinica.

The Potential Roles of the G1LEA and G3LEA Proteins in Early Embryo Development and in Response to Low Temperature and High Salinity in Artemia sinica

Late embryogenesis abundant proteins (LEA) are stress resistance-related proteins that play crucial roles in protecting against desiccation, cold and high salinity in a variety of animals and plants. However, the expression pattern, distribution and functions of LEA proteins in the post-diapause period of Artemia sinica, and under high salinity and low temperature stresses, remain unknown. In this study, the complete cDNA sequences of the group 1 LEA (As-g1lea) and group 3 LEA (As-g3lea) genes from A. sinica were cloned. The expression patterns and location of As-G1LEA and As-G1LEA were investigated. The protein abundances of As-G1LEA, As-G3LEA and Trehalase were analyzed during different developmental stages of the embryo and under low temperature and high salinity stresses in A. sinica. The full-length cDNA of As-g1lea was 960 bp, encoding a 182 amino acid protein, and As-g3lea was 2089 bp, encoding a 364 amino acid protein. As-g1lea and As-g3lea showed their highest expressions at 0 h of embryonic development and both showed higher relative expression in embryonic, rather than adult, development stages. The abundances of As-G1LEA, As-G3LEA and trehalose were upregulated under low temperature and downregulated under high salinity stress. These two genes did not show any tissue or organ specific expression. Our results suggested that these LEA proteins might play a pivotal role in stress tolerance in A. sinica.

Cloning and expression of retinoblastoma-binding protein 4 gene in embryo diapause termination and in response to salinity stress from brine shrimp Artemia sinica

Retinoblastoma binding protein 4 (RBBP4) is a nuclear protein with four WD-repeat sequences and thus belongs to a highly conserved subfamily of proteins with such domains. This retinoblastoma-binding protein plays an important role in nucleosome assembly and histone modification, which influences gene transcription and regulates cell cycle and proliferation. Artemia sinica (brine shrimp) undergoes an unusual diapause process under stress conditions of high salinity and low temperature. However, the role of RBBP4 in diapause termination of embryo development in A. sinica remains unknown. Here, the full-length cDNA of the As-rbbp4 gene was obtained from A. sinica and found to contain 1411 nucleotides, including a 1281 bp open reading frame (ORF), 63 bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR) and a 67-bp 3'-UTR, which encodes a 427 amino acid (48 kDa) protein. Bioinformatic analysis indicated As-RBBP4 to be mainly located in the nucleus, with a theoretical isoelectric point of 4.79. Protein sequence domain analysis showed that As-RBBP4 is a conserved protein, especially in the WD40 domain. No specificity in expression of this gene was observed in tissues or organs by in situ hybridization. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analyses of As-RBBP4 gene and protein expression, respectively, showed notably high levels at 10 h and a subsequent downward trend. Obvious trends in upregulation of As-RBBP4 were observed under conditions of low temperature and high salinity stress. As-E2F1 and As-CyclinE also presented similar trends as that of As-RBBP4 in Western blots. Analysis of the RBBP4 expression in early embryonic development of A. sinica indicated that this protein plays an important role in diapause termination and cell cycle regulation.

Identification, expression pattern and functional characterization of As-MyD88 in bacteria challenge and during different developmental stages of Artemia sinica

Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MYD88), a key adapter protein in Toll-like receptor signaling, affects the immune response and the formation of the dorsal-ventral axis. Here, the 1555bp full-length cDNA of MyD88 from Artemia sinica (As-MyD88) was obtained. Molecular characterization revealed that the sequence includes an 1182bp open reading frame encoding a predicted protein of 393 amino acids. The predicted protein contains a death domain in the N-terminus, and box1 and 2 motifs of the TIR domain in the C-terminus. Real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the expression level, protein production and location of As-MYD88 during embryonic development and bacterial challenge. The highest expression level during embryonic development was at the 0h and 5h stages of A. sinica. As-MYD88 was remarkably upregulated after bacterial challenge. Our results suggested that As-MYD88 plays a vital role in response to bacterial challenge, and during post-diapause embryonic development of A. sinica.

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of the protein arginine N-methyltransferase 1 gene (As-PRMT1) from Artemia sinica

Protein arginine N-methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is an important epigenetic regulation factor in eukaryotic genomes. PRMT1 is involved in histone arginine loci methylation modification, changes in eukaryotic genomes' chromatin structure, and gene expression regulation. In the present paper, the full-length 1201-bp cDNA sequence of the PRMT1 homolog of Artemia sinica (As-PRMT1) was cloned for the first time. The putative As-PRMT1 protein comprises 346 amino acids with a SAM domain and a PRMT5 domain. Multiple sequence alignments revealed that the putative sequence of As-PRMT1 protein was relatively conserved across species, especially in the SAM domain. As-PRMT1 is widely expressed during embryo development of A. sinica. This is followed by a dramatic upregulation after diapause termination and then downregulation from the nauplius stage. Furthermore, As-PRMT1 transcripts are highly upregulated under conditions of high salinity and low temperature stress. These findings suggested that As-PRMT1 is a stress-related factor that might promote or inhibit the expression of certain genes, play a critical role in embryonic development and in resistance to low temperature and high salinity stress.

Expression and roles of As-NUPR1 protein from Artemia sinica during embryo development and in response to salinity stress

As-NUPR1, a stress-related protein, plays an important role in post-diapause during embryonic development in the brine shrimp Artemia sinica. In the present study, successful expression of As-NUPR1 from the cDNA sequence isolated from A. sinica was demonstrated using a prokaryotic expression system. The recombinant protein consisted of 132 amino acids with a molecular weight of 15 kDa, and a predicted isoelectric point of 7.17. As-NUPR1 polyclonal antibodies were prepared by immunization of Balb/c mice with purified recombinant As-NUPR1 protein as an antigen, and immunological studies were carried out. Expression of As-NUPR1 during different developmental stages of the embryo and in response to salinity stress was analyzed in A. sinica using Western blots. The experimental results showed that the expression of As-NUPR1 is widely distributed at different developmental stages in A. sinica, and there was no tissue or organ specificity. Expression of As-NUPR1 decreased gradually during the diapause termination stage of embryo development, after which there was a general increase in expression after breaking the shell. In addition, As-NUPR1 expression was highly upregulated under conditions of high salinity. These results suggest that the As-NUPR1 protein is a stress-related protein that plays a role in protecting embryos from high salt damage in different embryonic developmental stages, especially during the post-diapause period.

The potential role of As-sumo-1 in the embryonic diapause process and early embryo development of Artemia sinica

During embryonic development of Artemia sinica, environmental stresses induce the embryo diapause phenomenon, required to resist apoptosis and regulate cell cycle activity. The small ubiquitin-related modifier-1 (SUMO), a reversible post-translational protein modifier, plays an important role in embryo development. SUMO regulates multiple cellular processes, including development and other biological processes. The molecular mechanism of diapause, diapause termination and the role of As-sumo-1 in this processes and in early embryo development of Artemia sinica still remains unknown. In this study, the complete cDNA sequences of the sumo-1 homolog, sumo ligase homolog, caspase-1 homolog and cyclin B homolog from Artemia sinica were cloned. The mRNA expression patterns of As-sumo-1, sumo ligase, caspase-1, cyclin B and the location of As-sumo-1 were investigated. SUMO-1, p53, Mdm2, Caspase-1, Cyclin B and Cyclin E proteins were analyzed during different developmental stages of the embryo of A. sinica. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to verify the function of sumo-1 in A. sinica. The full-length cDNA of As-sumo-1 was 476 bp, encoding a 92 amino acid protein. The As-caspases-1 cDNA was 966 bp, encoding a 245 amino-acid protein. The As-sumo ligase cDNA was 1556 bp encoding, a 343 amino acid protein, and the cyclin B cDNA was 739 bp, encoding a 133 amino acid protein. The expressions of As-sumo-1, As-caspase-1 and As-cyclin B were highest at the 10 h stage of embryonic development, and As-sumo ligase showed its highest expression at 0 h. The expression of As-SUMO-1 showed no tissue or organ specificity. Western blotting showed high expression of As-SUMO-1, p53, Mdm2, Caspase-1, Cyclin B and Cyclin E at the 10 h stage. The siRNA caused abnormal development of the embryo, with increased malformation and mortality. As-SUMO-1 is a crucial regulation and modification protein resumption of embryonic diapause and early embryo development of A. sinica.

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of ubiquitin protein ligase gene (As-ubpl) from Artemia sinica

Ubiquitylation is an important protein post-translational regulation pathway, which is involved in controlling protein degradation, tumor occurrence and cell cycle regulation. E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (UBPL) plays a crucial role of the conjugation of activated ubiquitin to protein substrates and leads to targeting proteins for degradation by the proteasome. We amplified one full-length cDNA of the A. sinica UBPL (As-ubpl) gene by RACE technology. The full-length cDNA of As-ubpl is composed of 2931 bp, with a 2571 bp open reading frame (ORF) that encodes a polypeptide of 856 amino acids with a C2 domain, two domains with two conserved Trp (W) residues (WW) and a homologous to E6-AP Carboxyl Terminus (HECT) domain. The amount of As-ubpl showed from real-time PCR indicates that a high expression levels of As-ubpl at 20 h, 40 h and 3 days of embryo development, with highest expression levels appearing in the larval stage (40 h). Furthermore, As-ubpl transcripts were highly up-regulated under salinity (50‰) and low temperature stress (15 °C). These results indicate that As-ubpl is involved in protein regulation of the postdiapause development and in responses to salinity and low temperature stress.

Molecular characterization and expression of As-nurp1 gene from Artemia sinica during development and in response to salinity and temperature stress

Nuclear protein 1 (NURP1) is a stress-related protein and closely related to diapause in the development of Artemia. In the present paper, the full-length 568-bp cDNA sequence of the nurp1 homolog of Artemia sinica (As-nurp1) was isolated by RACE technology for the first time. The putative As-nurp1 protein consists of 66 amino acids with a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) motif and a bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS). Multiple sequence alignments revealed that the putative As-nurp1 protein sequence was relatively conserved across species, especially in the bHLH domain. The expression of As-nurp1 is widely distributed during A. sinica development. This is followed by a dramatic downregulation after diapause and is newly upregulated from the larval nauplius stage. Furthermore, As-nurp1 transcripts are highly upregulated under conditions of high salinity and low temperature. These findings suggest that As-nurp1 is stress-related and may act as a protective factor in embryonic development.

Small heat shock protein expression and functions during development

The expression of small heat shock proteins is tightly regulated during development in multiple organisms. As housekeeping proteins, small heat shock proteins help protect cells from apoptosis, stabilize the cytoskeleton and contribute to proteostasis. Consistently, depletion of one small heat shock protein is usually not detrimental due to a certain level of redundancy between the functions of each small heat shock protein. However, while their stress-induced expression is regulated by heat shock factors, their constitutive expression is under the control of other specific transcription factors, suggesting the existence of very specialized functions. This review focuses on the expression patterns and functions of small heat shock proteins in various organisms during development. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Small HSPs in physiology and pathology.

Molecular analysis and its expression of a pou homeobox protein gene during development and in response to salinity stress from brine shrimp, Artemia sinica

Brine shrimps of the genus Artemia are aquatic species of economic importance because of their important significance to aquaculture and are used as a model species in physiology and developmental biology. Research on Artemia POU homeobox gene function will enhance our understanding of the physiological and developmental processes of POU homeobox gene in animals. Herein, a full-length cDNA encoding an Artemia POU homeobox protein gene 1 (APH-1) from Artemia sinica (designated as As-APH-1) was cloned and characterized by a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) method. The As-APH-1 gene encoded a protein of 388 amino acid polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 42.85kDa and an isoelectric point of 6.90 and the protein belongs to the POU III family. Multiple sequence alignments revealed that A. sinica As-APH-1 protein sequence shared a conserved POU homeobox domain with other species. The early and persistent expression of As-APH-1 in the naupliar stages by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and whole-mount embryonic immunohistochemistry suggest that As-APH-1 functions very early in the salt gland and may be required continuously in this organ. Later in development, expression of As-APH-1 begins to dramatically decrease and disappear in salt gland of the sub-adult Artemia. In addition, we also discovered that As-APH-1 increased obviously as the salinity increased, indicating that As-APH-1 might be used as a good indicator of salinity stress. In summary, we are the first to identify the As-APH-1 gene and to determine its gene expression patterns in early embryogenesis stages and in different salinity stress in brine shrimp, A. sinica. The result of expression of As-APH-1 affected by salinity changes will provide us further understanding of the underlying mechanisms of osmoregulation in Artemia early embryonic development.

Mechanisms associated with cellular desiccation tolerance in the animal extremophile artemia

Using differential scanning calorimetry, we demonstrated the presence of biological glasses and measured the transition temperatures in dry encysted embryos (cysts) of the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana. Cysts from the following three geographic locations were studied: San Francisco Bay (SFB); the Great Salt Lake, Utah (GSL); and the Mekong Delta, Vietnam (VN; these cysts were produced from previous sequential inoculations of SFB cysts into growth ponds). Values for the glass transition temperature, T(g), were highest in VN cysts. This study indicates that the composition and properties of these biological glasses can be altered by natural selection and thermal adaptation. To our knowledge, T(g) values for all three kinds of cysts were significantly higher than those for any other desiccation-tolerant animal system. To gain insight into the significance of T(g), we examined the thermal stability of these dry cysts at 80 °C. GSL cysts were the least tolerant, by far, with VN cysts being extremely tolerant and SFB cysts not far behind. Those results correlated with the thermal transition values. Also measured were alcohol-soluble carbohydrates, ~90% of which is the disaccharide trehalose, a known component of biological glasses. Amounts in the GSL cysts were significantly less than those in the other two kinds of cysts. Several stress proteins were measured in the three groups of cysts, with all of them being in lesser amounts in GSL cysts compared with the SFB and VN cysts. We interpret the data in terms of mechanisms involved with desiccation tolerance and thermal conditions at the sites of cyst collection.

Priming the prophenoloxidase system of Artemia franciscana by heat shock proteins protects against Vibrio campbellii challenge

Like other invertebrates, the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana relies solely on innate immunity, which by definition lacks adaptive characteristics, to combat against invading pathogens. One of the innate mechanisms is melanisation of bacteria mediated by the activation of the prophenoloxidase (proPO) system. The 70 kDa heat shock proteins (Hsp70) derived from either prokaryote (Escherichia coli) or eukaryote (Artemia), well conserved and immune-dominant molecules, protect Artemia against Vibrio campbellii. However, the molecular mechanisms by which these proteins protect Artemia against Vibrio campbellii infection are unknown. Here we demonstrated that feeding gnotobiotically grown Artemia with either Artemia Hsp70 or the E. coli Hsp70 equivalent DnaK, each overproduced in E. coli, followed by V. campbellii challenge enhanced the proPO system, at both mRNA and protein activity levels. Additionally, the Artemia fed with these proteins survived well in a Vibrio challenge assay. These results indicated that Hsp70s derived from either prokaryotic or eukaryotic sources generate protective immunity in the crustacean Artemia against V. campbellii infection by priming the proPO system. This is apparently the first in vivo report on priming activity of Hsp70 in an invertebrate.

Molecular cloning and its expression of trachealess gene (As-trh) during development in brine shrimp, Artemia sinica

Basic helix-loop-helix-PAS (bHLH-PAS) family transcription factors are implicated in multiple developmental and physiological regulatory processes. Herein, a full-length cDNA encoding a bHLH-PAS domain transcription factor trachealess gene (designated as As-trh) was cloned and characterized from brine shrimp (Artemia sinica) for the first time. The full-length cDNA of As-trh was 2,698 bp with a 2,319 bp open reading frame encoding a deduced protein of 772 amino acid polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 86.02 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.87. Sequence alignment revealed that As-trh had high homology with other species trh gene, including the D-trh gene in Drosophila melanogaster and Bm-trh in Bombyx mori. The early and persistent expression of As-trh in the naupliar stages by whole-mount embryonic in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry suggest that As-trh functions very early in the salt gland and may be required continuously in this tissue. Later in development, expression of As-trh begins to decrease and disappear in salt gland of the older nauplius and appears in the thoracic epipods of the sub-adult Artemia. These results indicated that As-trh might play an important role in osmoregulatiory organ development from the larvae stages through adult stages.

Cloning and characterization of β-catenin gene in early embryonic developmental stage of Artemia sinica

β-Catenin plays a crucial role in embryonic development and responds to the activation of several signal transduction pathways. In this paper, in order to understand the functions of β-catenin gene in early embryonic development of Artemia sinica, the complete cDNA sequence was cloned for the first time using RACE technology, then the sequence was analyzed by some bioinformatic methods. The expression of the β-catenin gene was investigated at various stages during the embryonic development using quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry assay. Through the investigation, the result of real-time PCR illustrated that β-catenin gene might relate to the response of A. sinica's immune system and osmotic pressure system in early embryonic developmental stage. Meanwhile, Immunohistochemistry assay demonstrated that during embryonic development, β-catenin was mainly expressed in the cephalothorax. Besides, we discovered that β-catenin might not be a maternal gene in A. sinica, and this new phenomenon may explain a constitutive and regional expression during the early embryonic development of A. sinica.