IgX antibodies in the urodele amphibian Ambystoma mexicanum.
Until recently, it was believed that urodele amphibians are able to synthesize only two immunoglobulin isotypes, IgM and IgY. We reinvestigated this issue in the Iberian ribbed newt Pleurodeles waltl and reported recently that this urodele expresses at least three isotypes: IgM, IgP and IgY. In this study, we demonstrate that another urodele, Ambystoma mexicanum, has also a third isotype whose amino acid sequence presents the highest homology with the amino acid sequence of Xenopus IgX. This isotype has typical Ig H-chain characteristics, could form multimers and is mainly expressed in mucosal tissues thereby indicating that it is likely the physiological counterpart of Xenopus IgX and mammalian IgA. Interestingly, no IgP could be found in A. mexicanum, in contrast to P. waltl, in which IgX was not found in previous investigations. These data indicate, for the first time, that different families of urodeles can express different immunoglobulin isotypes.
Schaerlinger
Bérénice
B
EA 3442, Nancy-University, Laboratoire de Biologie Expérimentale et Immunologie, Groupe Développement et Immunogénétique, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France.
Frippiat
Jean-Pol
JP
D000558:Ambystoma mexicanum / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D012333:RNA, Messenger