title: Identification and characterization of a mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase of Spirometra erinacei.
abstract: A gene encoding the manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) of Spirometra erinacei was identified, and the biochemical properties of the recombinant enzyme were partially characterized. The S. erinacei Mn-SOD gene consisted of 669 bp, which encoded 222 amino acids. A sequence analysis of the gene showed that it had typical molecular structures, including characteristic metal-binding residues and motifs that were conserved in Mn-SODs. An analysis of the N-terminal presequence of S. erinacei Mn-SOD revealed that it had physiochemical characteristics commonly found in mitochondria-targeting sequences and predicted that the enzyme is located in the mitochondria. A biochemical analysis also revealed that the enzyme is a typical Mn-SOD. The enzyme was consistently expressed in both S. erinacei plerocercoid larvae and adult worms. Our results collectively suggested that S. erinacei Mn-SOD is a typical mitochondrial Mn-SOD and may play an important role in parasite physiology, detoxifying excess superoxide radicals generated in the mitochondria.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Ai-Hua
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Byoung-Kuk
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Kyoung-Ju
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sung-Bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Chom-Kyu
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Yun-Kyu
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tong-Soo
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017812:Colubridae / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013032:Sparganum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013146:Spirometra / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase