title: Investigation of variable lymphocyte receptors in the alternative adaptive immune response of hagfish.
abstract: Jawless vertebrates have an alternative adaptive immune system mediated by variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs), VLRA, VLRC and VLRB. In investigation on the adaptive immunity of hagfish, avian influenza virus hemagglutinin (H9N2-HA1) was used as a model antigen, with mRNA expression levels of VLRA, VLRC and Ikaros were up-regulated in the first week post-immunization. CD45 was up-regulated after the first week; and expression of VLRB progressively increased over the course of the trial. The transcriptional/translational activation of VLRB in blood was verified. The VLRBs cloned from these transcripts showed diversity in their leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). The production of specific VLRB increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner, detected by an anti-VLRB antibody (11G5). The plasma VLRB could distinguish H9N2-HA1 from unrelated proteins, but not from other HA1 subtypes. Together, our findings show that VLRs play a major role in the alternative adaptive immune system of hagfish by responding to specific foreign substances, such as H9N2-HA1.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Se Pyeong
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Si Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Earn
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Rim
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jaesung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Inland Aquaculture Research Center, NFRDI, Changwon, 645-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 660-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jungts@gnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Tae Sung
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006196:Hagfishes / Q000276:immunology*; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000276:immunology; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007114:Immunization; D053127:Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011946:Receptors, Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D011946:Receptors, Antigen; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor
keywords: Adaptive immune response; Hagfish; Hemagglutinin of avian influenza virus; Variable lymphocyte receptors