title: Molecular cloning and characterization of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.) calreticulin.
abstract: Mammalian calreticulin (CRT) is a key molecular chaperone and regulator of Ca(2+) homeostasis in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), also being implicated in a variety of physiological/pathological processes outside the ER. Importantly, it is involved in assembly of MHC class I molecules. In this work, sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) CRT (Dila-CRT) gene and cDNA have been isolated and characterized. The mature protein retains two conserved motifs, three structural/functional domains (N, P and C), three type 1 and 2 motifs repeated in tandem, a conserved pair of cysteines and ER-retention motif. It is a single-copy gene composed of 9 exons. Dila-CRT three-dimensional homology models are consistent with the structural features described for mammalian molecules. Together, these results are supportive of a highly conserved structure of CRT through evolution. Moreover, the present data provides information that will allow further studies on sea bass CRT involvement in immunity and in particular class I antigen presentation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. rsp@ibmc.up.pt
authors.forename: Rute D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Ana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Pedro J B
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Nuno M S
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: dos Santos
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D037282:Calreticulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D037282:Calreticulin; D029941:Fish Proteins