title: Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a beta-thymosin homologue from a gastropod abalone, Haliotis diversicolor supertexta.
abstract: The beta-thymosins are a family of highly conserved small peptides with multiple functions. In this study, we isolated the full-length cDNA of a beta-thymosin homologue from a gastropod abalone Haliotis diversicolor supertexta which we named ab-TMSB. The full-length cDNA of ab-TMSB consists of 499 bp with an ORF encoding a 43 amino acids protein. The deduced amino acid sequence of ab-TMSB shows 61-76% identity to other beta-thymosins and shares a conserved actin-binding domain. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that ab-TMSB was branched with Sycon raphanus beta-thymosin and clustered with Strongylocentrotus purpuratus beta-thymosin. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that ab-TMSB was ubiquitously expressed in abalone and highly expressed in hemocyte. Moreover, the expression level of ab-TMSB in hemocyte was upregulated after LPS challenge. Taken together, these results indicate that ab-TMSB is a beta-thymosin homologue and may be involved in the immune response of abalone H. diversicolor supertexta.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Marine Life Science and Technology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, 268 Kaixuan Road, Hangzhou 310029, PR China.
authors.forename: Liuji
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xinzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011506:Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013947:Thymosin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011506:Proteins; C407551:major acrosomal protein, 15-kDa; D013947:Thymosin