title: Overexpression of a C-type lectin enhances bacterial resistance in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii.
abstract: C-type lectins play important roles in the innate immune system of crustaceans. In this study, a novel C-type lectin gene, designated as PcLec4, was obtained from the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that PcLec4 is mainly expressed in the crayfish hepatopancreas and intestine, and the PcLec4 mRNA expression is upregulated after challenged with the bacteria Vibrio anguillarum. PcLec4 was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and anti-PcLec4 polyclonal antiserum was prepared. Binding experiments revealed that the recombinant PcLec4 binds to various bacteria and polysaccharides on the bacterial surface, which suggests that PcLec4 recognizes bacterial pathogens. Overexpression of PcLec4 in crayfish using the pIeLec4 vector was performed. The results show that the crayfish overexpressing PcLec4 eliminate injected V. anguillarum more quickly than the control, which suggests that PcLec4 elicits further immune response for removing invading bacteria. The results of the survival experiment confirmed the function of PcLec4 in resisting V. anguillarum because PcLec4 overexpression in crayfish significantly increased the crayfish survival rate. These results reveal that PcLec4 has an important role in the antibacterial immunity of crayfish, and in vivo PcLec4 overexpression might be used as a disease control strategy in aquiculture.
authors: The Key Laboratory of Plant Cell Engineering and Germplasm Innovation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, 10 Shandong, 250100, China.
authors: Xiao-Wen
authors: XW
authors: Zhang
authors: Ying-Ying
authors: YY
authors: Liu
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Mu
authors: Qian
authors: Q
authors: Ren
authors: Xiao-Fan
authors: XF
authors: Zhao
authors: Jin-Xing
authors: JX
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003400:Astacoidea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000502:physiology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000502:physiology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins