title: Cloning of cDNAs and hybridization analysis of lysozymes from two oyster species, Crassostrea gigas and Ostrea edulis.
abstract: In bivalve molluscs including oysters, lysozymes play an important role in the host defense mechanisms against invading microbes. However, it remains unclear in which sites/cells the lysozyme genes are expressed and which subsequently produced the enzyme. This study cloned lysozyme cDNAs from the digestive organs of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and European flat oyster Ostrea edulis. Both complete sequences of two oysters' lysozymes were composed of 137 amino acids. Two translated proteins present a high content in cysteine residues. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these oysters' lysozymes clustered with the invertebrate-type lysozymes of other bivalve species. In the Pacific oyster, lysozyme mRNA was expressed in all tissues except for those of the adductor muscle. In situ hybridization analyses revealed that lysozyme mRNA was expressed strongly in basophil cells in the digestive gland tubule of C. gigas, but not in digestive cells. Results indicated that the basophil cells of the oyster digestive gland are the sites of lysozyme synthesis.
authors.affiliation: National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Nansei 516-0193, Mie, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Akifumi M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Keisuke G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D049896:Crassostrea / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004064:Digestive System / Q000201:enzymology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009928:Organ Specificity; D049895:Ostrea / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009113:Muramidase