title: Molecular cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding extracellular signal-regulated kinase from Litopenaeus vannamei.
abstract: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is a serine/threonine-specific kinase, which is activated by downstream signaling molecules of cellular activation, cytokine and chemokine stimulation and various other stimuli. Here we cloned an ERK gene from Litopenaeus vannamei and designated it as lverk. The lverk cDNA contained an open reading frame of 1098 bp encoding 365 amino acids. LVERK had a conserved TEY motif and serine/threonine protein kinase (S_TKc) domain, and close phylogenetic relationship to Penaeus monodon and Marsupenaeus japonicus ERK. Immunofluorescence staining analysis showed that following serum stimulation LVERK was located in cytoplasm and nucleus, but phospho-LVERK was prominently in nucleus, suggesting conserved ERK signaling module occurred in shrimp cells. Then during the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection, LVERK and phospho-LVERK increased at the early stage of infection. Once silencing of lverk in vivo, the replication of WSSV was obviously inhibited. Moreover, treatment of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor in vitro could result in reduction of WSSV proliferation and delay of viral early gene transcription. Our results indicated a role of LVERK involved in WSSV infection. Understanding how WSSV influences ERK signaling pathway to dismantle an effective immune response may lead to insight into pathogenic progression and possible disease control.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, No. 178 Daxue Road, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xinfu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Lingwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000662:veterinary; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D017385:Sequence Homology; D046848:White spot syndrome virus 1 / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases