title: Characterization of a Rel\NF-kappaB homologue in a gastropod abalone, Haliotis diversicolor supertexta.
abstract: Rel\NF-kappaB signal transduction pathway is evolutionarily conserved and involved in numerous biological processes. We report here, for the first time that a homologue of Rel\NF-kappaB transcription factor, Ab-Rel, was identified and functionally characterized in a gastropod abalone, H. diversicolor supertexta. The full-length Ab-Rel cDNA consists of 1943 bp with an ORF encoding a 584 amino acids protein. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that Ab-Rel shares conserved signature motifs with other Rel proteins, including the Rel homology domain (RHD), nuclear localization signal (NLS) and phosphorylation site, RRPS. Northern hybridization and real-time PCR indicated that Ab-Rel was ubiquitously and constitutively expressed in abalone. The recombinant Ab-Rel RHD protein was confirmed to specifically bind the consensus NF-kappaB binding site. Furthermore, EMSA showed that NF-kappaB activity was induced in abalone hemocytes by stimulation with LPS. These results strongly suggest that Ab-Rel is a Rel homologue, which plays a conserved role in the immune response of the ancient invertebrate, abalone, allowing us to study the Rel\NF-kappaB signaling pathway in an evolutionary context.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Hangzhou 310029, PR China.
authors.forename: Yusheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xinzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000276:immunology*; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel; D004247:DNA