title: Differential response of two ferritin subunit genes (VpFer1 and VpFer2) from Venerupis philippinarum following pathogen and heavy metals challenge.
abstract: As a principal extracellular iron storage molecule, ferritin plays an important role in the iron-withholding strategy of innate immunity and detoxification system. In this study, we cloned and characterized another ferritin from Venerupis philippinarum (designated as VpFer2), in addition to one previously reported (VpFer1). VpFer2 possessed all the conserved features critical for the fundamental structure and function of ferritin H subunit. VpFer1 and VpFer2 mRNA were both found to be most abundantly expressed in hepatopancreas. Vibrio challenge could significantly up-regulate the mRNA expression of VpFers, and VpFer2 showed more sensitive to Vibrio anguillarum infection. For heavy metals exposure, the expression level of VpFer1 was significantly induced by Cd at 48 h, but kept relatively constant after exposure to Cu. With regards to VpFer2, the expression level dropped significantly at 24 h, then began to increase to the peak value at 48 h under Cd exposure, while Cu exposure constantly depressed the expression level of VpFer2 throughout the time course. Similarly, VpFer2 seemed to be more sensitive to heavy metals exposure than VpFer1 as its mRNA level changed by higher magnitudes. All these results suggested that VpFers may be important proteins involved in host immune defense and heavy metals detoxification. The diverse expression patterns of VpFers demonstrated that VpFer2 was an early and sensitive responder to environmental stress in V. philippinarum.
authors.affiliation: Key Lab. of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Key Lab. of Fishery Ecology Environment, Guangdong Province, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, PR China.
authors.forename: Linbao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wengui
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yangguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Haigang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shengwei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019295:Computational Biology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005293:Ferritins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D043143:Hepatopancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014733:Vibrio / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D021122:Protein Subunits; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005293:Ferritins
keywords: Detoxification; Ferritin; Immune response; Venerupis philippinarum