title: Molecular cloning and characterization of three crustins from the Chinese white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis.
abstract: Antibacterial peptides crustins are the effector molecules of innate immunity in decapods. In this study, three crustin cDNA sequences (Fc-crus 1, Fc-crus 2, and Fc-crus 3) were cloned from the Chinese white shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The full-length cDNAs of Fc-crus 2 and 3 are 473 bp and 574 bp, respectively. The deduced peptides of Fc-crus 2 and 3 contain a signal peptide and a crustin domain at the C-terminal formed by twelve conserved cysteine residues. The partial sequence of Fc-cru 1 is 575 bp long and the deduced amino acids also contain a crustin domain. The expression profiles of these three crustins were studied with RT-PCR. Fc-crus 1 and Fc-crus 2 constitutively expressed in hemocytes with high levels, and the expression level is increased in the heart, stomach, intestine and ovaries when shrimp was challenged with Vibrio anguillarum, The expression of Fc-crus 1 and Fc-crus 2 was detected in each developmental stage. Fc-crus 3 was constitutively expressed in the ovaries and induced as an expression in the stomach. Unlike Fc-crus 1 and Fc-crus 2, the mRNA of Fc-crus 3 was not detected in the developmental stages extending from nauplii and mysis to post-larvae. The recombinant proteins containing mature Fc-crus 2 and Fc-crus 3 were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and respectively purified. The antibacterial assays revealed that the recombinant mFc-crus could inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria in vitro.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xin-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Wen-Teng
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Fan
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jin-Xing
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins