title: Cg-TGF-beta, a TGF-beta/activin homologue in the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas, is involved in immunity against Gram-negative microbial infection.
abstract: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) members represent a widespread protein superfamily in the animal kingdom, but few members have been characterised in lophotrochozoans, a major clade of invertebrates. Here, we report the identification of Crassostrea gigas-TGF-beta (Cg-TGF-beta), a homologue of vertebrate TGF-beta and activin, from the bivalve mollusc C. gigas. Phylogenetic analysis suggests an early ancestral origin of this subgroup of TGF-beta superfamily member. Investigation of the spatio-temporal expression of Cg-TGF-beta gene by real-time quantitative RT-PCR showed a ubiquitous pattern in all adult tissues. These findings imply that Cg-TGF-beta has multiple functions as described for its vertebrate counterparts. Moreover, Cg-TGF-beta was upregulated in haemocytes during infection by a Gram-negative bacterium, suggesting that it could act as a cytokine involved in immunity in molluscs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie et de Biotechnologies Marines, IBFA, EA 962-UMR 100 I.FR.E.MER, Physiologie et Ecophysiologie des Mollusques Marins, Université de Caen-Basse Normandie, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 CAEN Cedex, France. christophe.lelong@unicaen.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lelong
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Badariotti
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Le Quéré
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodet
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dubos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Favrel
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D049896:Crassostrea / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000662:veterinary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D028341:Activins