Antarctic teleost immunoglobulins: more extreme, more interesting.
We have investigated the immunoglobulin molecule and the genes encoding it in teleosts living in the Antarctic seas at the constant temperature of -1.86 °C. The majority of Antarctic teleosts belong to the suborder Notothenioidei (Perciformes), which includes only a few non-Antarctic species. Twenty-one Antarctic and two non-Antarctic Notothenioid species were included in our studies. We sequenced immunoglobulin light chains in two species and μ heavy chains, partially or totally, in twenty species. In the case of heavy chain, genomic DNA and the cDNA encoding the secreted and the membrane form were analyzed. From one species, Trematomus bernacchii, a spleen cDNA library was constructed to evaluate the diversity of VH gene segments. T. bernacchii IgM, purified from the serum and bile, was characterized. Homology Modelling and Molecular Dynamics were used to determine the molecular structure of T. bernacchii and Chionodraco hamatus immunoglobulin domains. This paper sums up the previous results and broadens them with the addition of unpublished data.
Institute of Protein Biochemistry, CNR, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy. mr.coscia@ibp.cnr.it
Maria Rosaria
MR
Coscia
Sonia
S
Varriale
Stefano
S
Giacomelli
Umberto
U
Oreste
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins