title: Pf-ALMP, a novel astacin-like metalloproteinase with cysteine arrays, is abundant in hemocytes of pearl oyster Pinctada fucata.
abstract: The astacin family metalloproteinase is a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases which play crucial roles in embryonic development, bone growth and morphogenesis. A cDNA clone encoding a putative astacin-like metalloproteinase (pf-ALMP) was isolated from hemocytes of pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata. The novel metalloproteinase presents a molecular organization close to the astacins, but has a novel C-terminal domain with cysteine arrays. RT-PCR analysis revealed that pf-ALMP was expressed dramatically high in hemocytes, which was affected by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) challenge. High expression of pf-ALMP was also found in gill, gonad and digestion gland, and in situ hybridization demonstrated that pf-ALMP was expressed in the epithelia cells of these tissues. Substrate analysis studies indicated that the recombinant pf-ALMP catalytic domain could digest gelatin. Interestingly, the pf-ALMP also could be involved in cell proliferation processes and the cysteine arrays were necessary for the proliferative activity. Taken together, these studies also help to further understand the functions of astacins which may be related to the processes of molluscan inflammatory response, embryo development, proliferation and shell formation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
authors.forename: Xunhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Rongqing
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003545:Cysteine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D045726:Metalloproteases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D049911:Pinctada / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D045726:Metalloproteases; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C071288:astacin; D003545:Cysteine