title: Involvement of pore-forming molecules in immune defense and development of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis).
abstract: The membrane attack complex and perforin (MACPF) superfamily is one of the largest families of pore-forming molecules. Although MACPF proteins are able to destruct invading microbes, several MACPF proteins play roles in embryonic development, neural migration or tumor suppression. We describe two apextrin-like proteins (ApelB and ApelP) and one MACPF-domain-containing protein (Macp) in Mytilus galloprovincialis. The two apextrin-like proteins did not present any conserved domain. The Macp protein contained the membrane/attack complex domain and its signature motif. Gene expression during larval development was analyzed by RT-PCR. There was a stage-specific up-regulation of the three proteins, suggesting that they play a role in development. Apextrin-like proteins were highly expressed at blastula and trochophore stage, whereas Macp was expressed at veliger stage. RT-PCR revealed up-regulation of the three genes in tissues and hemocytes from adults treated with bacteria and pathogen-associated molecular patterns, suggesting that they may be involved in the immune response.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Eduardo Cabello, Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Estévez-Calvar
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueras
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Novoa
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D049878:Mytilus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D054353:Perforin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D011247:Pregnancy; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex; D054353:Perforin