title: Cloning and characterisation of two natural killer enhancing factor genes (NKEF-A and NKEF-B) in pufferfish, Tetraodon nigroviridis.
abstract: Natural killer cell enhancing factor (NKEF) belongs to a highly conserved peroxiredoxin (Prx) family. Its functions are involved in immune cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell proliferation, differentiation and antioxidant activity. In present paper, two NKEF genes, NKEF-A and NKEF-B, were isolated and characterised in spotted green pufferfish, Tetraodon nigroviridis. Comparative genomic location analysis shows conserved syntenies within the NKEF-A and NKEF-B regions between Tetraodon and human, indicating that the Tetraodon NKEF-A and NKEF-B genes are orthologs for mammalian NKEF-A and NKEF-B encoding genes, respectively. The genomic organisation of the two genes is similar in different species, containing one non-coding exon, five coding exons and five introns. The deduced amino acids of the two genes are highly homologous with mammalian NKEF-A and NKEF-B proteins, including two well conserved Val-Cys-Pro (VCP) motifs. Tissue specific expression analysis by RT-PCR reveals that both genes are globally expressed. Stimulation with LPS inhibits both NKEF-A and NKEF-B gene expression in most tissues but enhances NKEF-A and NKEF-B transcriptions in spleen. This is the first report on the existence of a NKEF-B homologue in fish.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310012, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei-Ren
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Li-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Jian-Zhong
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D023061:Gene Order / Q000235:genetics; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D054464:Peroxiredoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D023721:Tetraodontiformes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D014157:Transcription Factors; D054464:Peroxiredoxins