title: Cloning, characterization and immunolocalization of two subunits of calcineurin from pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata).
abstract: Calcineurin (CN), consisting of catalytic subunit (CN A) and regulatory subunit (CN B), is a multifunctional protein involved in many important physiological processes. Here, we cloned two subunits of CN (Pf-CN A and Pf-CN B) from pearl oyster Pinctada fucata and reported, for the first time, its expression patterns in the developmental stages, its enzymatic activity and immunolocalization in various tissues of adult pearl oyster. The Pf-CN A was extensively localized in all the tested tissues including mantle, gonad, digestive gland, gills, adductor muscle, and foot with strong signals detected in gonad, gills, foot, and mantle. Importantly, Pf-CN A was mainly found in the inner epithelial cells of the basal periostracal groove and lateral surface of the inner mantle fold, in which organic macromolecules used for periostracum formation and shell construction are secreted, respectively. In gill, the strong signals were distributed in the epithelial cells of the branchial filaments and the base of gill filaments. All the results suggested that Pf-CN may participate in the development of the pearl oyster and function in many ways in various physiological activities, especially in the shell formation. Our observations could provide some important clues to further understanding of the functions of CN in the oyster.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
authors.forename: Changzhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yilin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fangjie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
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; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004064:Digestive System / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D057075:Enzyme Assays; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005880:Gills / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D049911:Pinctada / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D021122:Protein Subunits; D019703:Calcineurin