Investigating the potential immune role of fish NCAMs: Molecular cloning and expression analysis in mandarin fish.
The immune role of NCAMs has been revealed in mammals, yet there is no such report in fish. Hence, we analyzed the molecular characterizations and immune-associated expression patterns of NCAMs in mandarin fish. Three NCAM members, named mfNCAM1a, mfNCAM1b and mfNCAM2, were identified. Among the cDNA sequences of mfNCAMs, AU-rich elements in the 3' UTRs of mfNCAM1b and mfNCAM2 as well as VASE sequences in the fourth Ig-like domain-encoding regions of mfNCAM1a and mfNCAM1b were discovered. Moreover, the syntenic analysis suggested that the duplication of NCAM1 is fish-specific. At mRNA and protein levels, the expression analyses revealed that mfNCAMs existed in both systemic and mucosal immune tissues, and located within lymphoid cells. Upon stimulated either by LPS or poly I:C, the expression level of mfNCAM1a was significantly up-regulated in head kidney, spleen, liver, and gut, whereas mfNCAM1b only in head kidney and liver, and mfNCAM2 only in liver. Additionally, the cells coexpressed mfNCAM1 and mfNCCRP-1 might imply the equivalents to mammalian NK cells. Our finding firstly demonstrates the member-specific immune-related tissue expression pattern and immune activity for fish NCAMs. Current data indicate that mfNCAM2 has little immune activity, while the immune activity of mfNCAM1a exists in more tissues than mfNCAM1b, and mfNCAM1a may tend to respond more actively to viral while mfNCAM1b to bacterial stimulants. Additionally, NCAM1b should be a fish-specific member with unique immune function, judging from its different expression pattern, immune activity as well as phylogenetic relationship to mfNCAM1a.
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
Nan
N
Wu
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Xiang-Yang
XY
Zhang
College of Fisheries, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China.
Bei
B
Huang
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Nu
N
Zhang
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
Xu-Jie
XJ
Zhang
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 4302231, China.
Xia
X
Guo
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
Xiao-Ling
XL
Chen
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
Yu
Y
Zhang
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
Han
H
Wu
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
Shun
S
Li
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
Ai-Hua
AH
Li
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China. Electronic address: yzhang@ihb.ac.cn.
Yong-An
YA
Zhang
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000662:veterinary; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010473:Perciformes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D015854:Up-Regulation
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029941:Fish Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D011070:Poly I-C
Mandarin fish; Mucosal immune; NCAM; NCCRP-1; NK cell; Systemic immune