MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Developmental and Comparative Immunology' source. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:42:50 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5659704&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22301067%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the molecular characterisation of miR-155 and its functional roles in TLR3/TLR4 signalling pathways were investigated in pigs. The results indicated that miR-155 was highly expressed in the spleen and fat tissues of the pig. In PK-15 cells, miR-155 was up-regulated 4h after LPS stimulation and up-regulated 12h and 24h after poly (I:C) stimulation. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-155 significantly activated the TLR3/TLR4 signalling pathways, and the inhibition of miR-155 suppressed these pathways. Thus, miR-155 played positive regulatory roles in TLR3/TLR4 signalling pathways. Additionally, one T/C SNP of miR-155 was significantly associated with basophil percentage (BA%), absolute eosinophili value (EO) and the distribution width of the least squares mean of CD3-CD4-C... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5659704 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5659704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5624352&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22266420%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ge Q, Zhao Y Abstract The thymus is the primary organ for functional T lymphocyte development in jawed vertebrates. A new study in the jawless fish, lampreys, indicates the existence of a primitive thymus in these surviving representatives of the most ancient vertebrates, providing strong evidence of co-evolution of T cells and thymus. This review summarizes the wealth of data that have been generated towards understanding the evolution of the thymus in the vertebrates. Progress in identifying genetic networks and cellular mechanisms that control thymus organogenesis in mammals and their evolution in lower species may inspire the development of new strategies for medical interventions targeting faulty thymus functions. PMID: 22266420 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5624352 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100 5624352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5578785&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22227346%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ma D, Wei Y, Liu F Abstract The thymus is a central hematopoietic organ which produces mature T lymphocytes with diverse antigen specificity. During development, the thymus primordium is derived from the third pharyngeal endodermal pouch, and then differentiates into cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs). TECs represent the primary functional cell type that forms the unique thymic epithelial microenvironment which is essential for intrathymic T-cell development, including positive selection, negative selection and emigration out of the thymus. Our understanding of thymopoiesis has been greatly advanced by using several important animal models. This review will describe progress on the molecular mechanisms involved in thymus and T cell development with parti... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5578785 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5578785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5578786&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22227319%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gammill WM, Scott Fites J, Rollins-Smith LA Abstract The dermal granular glands of the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, contain antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are secreted following local nerve stimulation. These natural antibiotics are active against bacteria and fungi including Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a fungal pathogen that causes the skin disease chytridiomycosis. Granular gland secretion can be stimulated in the laboratory by norepinephrine injection. We found that two injections of 80nmol/g norepinephrine were necessary to fully deplete the AMP stores. One injection resulted in the secretion of most of the stored peptides. A second injection, 2days later, released a small amount of additional AMPs that are not compositionally different from those... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5578786 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5578786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561443&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22214841%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Junkunlo K, Prachumwat A, Tangprasittipap A, Senapin S, Bavornphinyo S, Flegel TW, Sritunyalucksana K Abstract When using mRNA from gills of normal whiteleg shrimp Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei as the tester and mRNA from yellow head virus (YHV)-infected shrimp as the driver, subtractive suppression hybridization (SSH) revealed that a novel EST clone of 198bp with a putative C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD) was downregulated in YHV-infected shrimp. The clone nucleotide sequence had 99% identity with one contig MGID465425 (763bp) reported in an EST database of P. vannamei, and the presence of this target in normal shrimp was confirmed by RT-PCR using primers designed from the MGID465425 sequence. Analysis of the primary structure of the deduced amino acid (a.a.) sequence o... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561443 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5561443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561453&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22210545%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ekman A, Ilves M, Iivanainen A Abstract Fetal cattle B-cell development proceeds via a pre-B cell stage that is characterized by the expression of surrogate light chain and recombination activation genes. In this paper, we identify a new member of bovine pre-B lymphocyte genes, VPREB2. Using RT-qPCR, we assess the expression of VPREB2 and three other surrogate light chain genes as well as RAG1 and RAG2 in fetal and adult cattle tissues. The absence of VPREB1, IGLL1, RAG1 and RAG2 expression in adult tissues and the lack of B-lymphoid differentiation in adult bone marrow - OP9 stromal cell co-culture, suggest a decline of B lymphopoiesis in adult cattle. The marked differences in the expression profiles of VPREB2 and VPREB3 in comparison to those of VPREB1, IGLL1 and RAGs s... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561453 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5561453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561450&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22210546%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhou J, Li L, Cai ZH Abstract Cathepsin S (CTSS) is a key enzyme employed in the histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted antigens, which are presented by processing class II-associated invariant chains and loaded antigen peptides into class II molecules. To date, little is known about the character and function of CTSS in fish. In the present study, we screened and identified a CTSS cDNA sequence from the mangrove red snapper head kidney cDNA library. The full-length CTSS cDNA contained 1339-bp nucleotide acids encoding 337 amino acids. The sequence shared high identity and similarity with other known cathepsins, especially CTSS (about 56-78% and 79-89%, respectively). Like other cathepsins, the deduced peptide consisted of regions with N-terminal signal pepti... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561450 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5561450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561446&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22212509%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to determine the genetic basis underlying the common carp immune response to the CyHV-3 virus. Two common carp lines (R3 and K) were infected with CyHV-3 by immersion. The R3 line presented a 20% higher survival rate compared to the K line and significantly lower viral loads as measured at day 3 post infection (p.i.). Microarray analysis using a common carp slides containing a number of 10,822 60-mer probes, revealed that 581 genes in line K (330 up-regulated, 251 down-regulated) and 107 genes in line R3 (77 up-regulated, 30 down-regulated), showed at least a 2-fold difference in expression at day 3 p.i. compared to day 0. Genes which showed at least a 4-fold difference in expression in both lines were selected as potential markers of a CyHV-3 infection in common carp. Add... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561446 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5561446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561449&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22210547%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Choi IK, Hyun S Abstract Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a major arm of the innate immune system across diverse organisms. In Drosophila, septic injury by microbial pathogens rapidly induces the production of the AMPs in fat body via well elucidated pathways such as Toll and IMD. However, several epithelial tissues were reported to locally express AMPs without septic injury via poorly characterized ways. Here, we report that microRNA miR-8 regulates the levels of AMPs basally expressed in Drosophila. The levels of AMPs such as Drosomycin and Diptericin are significantly increased in miR-8 null animals in non-pathogen stimulated conditions. Analysis of various larval tissues revealed that the increase of Drosomycin is fat body specific. Supporting this observation,... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561449 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5561449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561454&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22210524%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we identified a CXC chemokine, CsCXCe1, from half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) and analyzed its function. The deduced amino acid sequence of CsCXCe1 contains 115 residues and is phylogenetically distinct from known CXC chemokines. CsCXCe1 possesses the conserved RCXC motif in the form of RCWC but lacks the ELR sequence that is found in some CXC chemokines. Expression of CsCXCe1 as determined by quantitative real time RT-PCR occurred abundantly in immune organs and was upregulated by bacterial and viral infection in time dependent manners. Purified recombinant CsCXCe1 (rCsCXCe1) exhibited comparable chemotactic activities against tongue sole and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL). Microscopic analysis identified lymphocytes as the m... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561454 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5561454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5561455&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22206867%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hwang SD, Ohtani M, Hikima JI, Jung TS, Kondo H, Hirono I, Aoki T Abstract Mammalian Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) recognizes extracellular and intracellular viral dsRNA, and then initiate signaling cascades leading to NF-κB activation and interferon (IFN) production. To understand the roles of TLR3 in the fish immune system, TLR3 gene (JfTLR3) was identified from Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), which consisted of 4 exons and 3 introns. Its expression in peripheral blood leukocytes increased upon stimulation with poly I:C and CpG ODN 1668. Exposure to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus increased expression of JfTLR3 in the blood, liver, head kidney and spleen. Intracellular poly I:C stimulation in JfTLR3-overexpressing YO-K cells significantly induced IFN-induci... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5561455 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5561455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5550732&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22200599%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we identified 22 NLRs including six members of the NLR-A subfamily (NODs), two members of the NLR-B subfamily, 11 members of the NLR-C subfamily, and three genes that do not belong to any of these three subfamilies: Apaf1, CIITA, and NACHT-P1. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that orthologs of the mammalian NOD1, NOD2, NOD3, NOD4, and NOD5 were all identified in catfish. In addition, an additional truncated NOD3-like gene was also identified in catfish. While the identities of subfamily A NLRs could be established, the identities of the NLR-B and NLR-C subfamilies were inconclusive at present. Expression of representative NLR genes was analyzed using RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. In healthy catfish tissues, all the tested NLR genes were found to be ubiquitously expressed in all 11 test... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5550732 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5550732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5550733&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22197036%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Min C, Liang Z, Cui X, Wang Q, Chen Y, Zhang S Abstract Here we describe the identification of a Danio rerio homologue of a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) of the TNF family (designated zAPRIL). Sequence analysis showed that the open reading frame of zAPRIL consists of 600 bases encoding a protein of 199-amino acids. Recombinant soluble APRIL (zsAPRIL) was constructed consisting of fluorescence-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and cloned into a pET28a vector. SDS-PAGE and western blotting analysis indicated a high-level expression of soluble EGFP/zsAPRIL protein in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Observation by confocal microscopy demonstrated that EGFP/zsAPRIL could successfully bind to the surface receptors of zebrafish lymphocytes. In vitro survival analysis... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5550733 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5550733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5536593&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22178920%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu F, Chen Y, Yang B, Wang J, Peng Q, Shao Q, Li X, Beerntsen BT, Xu Y, Li J, Yu XQ, Ling E Abstract Dipteran insects, like mosquitoes, possess more than two prophenoloxidase (PPO) genes, but it is unclear whether their gene products differ in biochemical properties and physiological functions. Here, we used three Drosophila melanogaster PPOs as models to study their properties through expression in S2 cells. Our data revealed that the PPOs were expressed in the ethanol-activatable conformation: rPPO1 and rPPO2 needed additional Cu(2+) in the medium, but rPPO3 did not. rPPO1 bound Cu(2+) within minutes; rPPO2 did that in hours when Cu(2+) were present at a higher concentration. Thus, rPPO1 and rPPO2 were expressed as apo-rPPO and became holo-PPO upon Cu(2+) binding; rPPO3... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5536593 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5536593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5536592&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22182503%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: van der Aa LM, Chadzinska M, Golbach LA, Ribeiro CM, Lidy Verburg-van Kemenade BM Abstract Numerous CXC chemokines have been identified in fish, however, their role in inflammation is not well established. Here, CXC chemokines of the CXCL8-like (CXCa_L1 and CXCL8_L2) and CXCL9/10/11-like (CXCb) subset were investigated in carp. Recombinant CXCa_L1, CXCL8_L2 and CXCb all stimulated chemotaxis of macrophages and granulocytes in vitro. CXCb also attracted lymphocytes. Distinct effects on phagocyte activation were observed: the CXCL8-like chemokines increase in respiratory burst activity, but not nitrite production. The three chemokines differentially induced a moderate increase in IL-1β, CXCa_L1 and CXCL8_L2 gene expression. Intracellular calcium mobilization in granulocytes... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5536592 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5536592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5536594&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22166340%26dopt%3DAbstract This study provides the foundation for further investigations into the interactions between bat RIG-I-like helicases and viruses to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the asymptomatic nature of viral infections in bats. PMID: 22166340 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5536594 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5536594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5536595&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22155638%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li R, Dooley H, Wang T, Secombes CJ, Bird S Abstract B-cell activating factor (BAFF), also known as tumour necrosis factor (TNF) ligand superfamily member 13B, is an important immune regulator with critical roles in B-cell survival, proliferation, differentiation and immunoglobulin secretion. A BAFF gene has been cloned from spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and its expression studied. The dogfish BAFF encodes for an anchored type-II transmembrane protein of 288 aa with a putative furin protease cleavage site and TNF family signature as seen in BAFFs from other species. The identity of dogfish BAFF has also been confirmed by conserved cysteine residues, and phylogenetic tree analysis. The dogfish BAFF gene has an extra exon not seen in teleost fish, birds and mammals that ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5536595 Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5536595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5536596&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22152704%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 22152704 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5536596 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5536596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5536597&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22142819%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Park SB, Hikima JI, Suzuki Y, Ohtani M, Nho SW, Cha IS, Jang HB, Kondo H, Hirono I, Aoki T, Jung TS Abstract The gene encoding nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) was cloned from olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and the role played by NOD1 during Edwardsiella tarda infection was evaluated. The complete open reading frame of NOD1 was 2820bp in length, encoding a 939-amino acid polypeptide. The NOD1 protein contains three conserved domain structures including C-terminal LRRs, a central NACHT motif, and an N-terminal CARD domain, which show similarities of 49-74% to those of other vertebrate counterpart proteins. NOD1 expression was observed in all fish tissues examined, and the levels increased in olive flounder infected with E. tarda, Streptococcus ini... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5536597 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5536597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5475781&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22133710%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Salinas I, Zhang YA, Sunyer JO Abstract As physical barriers that separate teleost fish from the external environment, mucosae are also active immunological sites that protect them against exposure to microbes and stressors. In mammals, the sites where antigens are sampled from mucosal surfaces and where stimulation of naïve T and B lymphocytes occurs are known as inductive sites and are constituted by mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). According to anatomical location, the MALT in teleost fish is subdivided into gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), skin-associated lymphoid tissue (SALT), and gill-associated lymphoid tissue (GIALT). All MALT contain a variety of leukocytes, including, but not limited to, T cells, B cells, plasma cells, macrophages and granulocyte... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5475781 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5475781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5475783&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22120532%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of the interaction between poly I:C and CpG-ODN on the mRNA expression levels of IFN-α and IFN-β, Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-12, Th2 cytokine IL-4, and regulatory IL-10 in chicken monocytes. When stimulated with either agonist alone, CpG-ODN significantly up-regulated the expression of INF-γ, IL-10, and IL-12p40, but not IFN-α and IFN-β; whereas poly I:C induced the expression of INF-γ, IFN-α, IFN-β, and IL-10; but not IL-12p40. However, stimulation with a combinatory CpG-ODN and poly I:C further synergistically increased the expression of IFN-γ and IL-10 mRNA. Our results provide strong evidence supporting the critical role of TLR3 and TLR21 in avian innate immunity against both viral and bacterial infections; and ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5475783 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5475783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5475782&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22120533%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we expressed three Drosophila melanogaster PPO genes in Escherichia coli, and extensively evaluated expression conditions for obtaining soluble proteins. Through the manipulation of expression conditions, particularly the culture temperature of PPO-transformed E. coli cells, we were able to obtain large quantities of soluble recombinant PPO proteins. Additional Cu(2+), either added into the culture medium during PPO induction or directly mixed with the purified rPPO preparations, was necessary to produce Cu(2+) associated proenzymes. Cu(2+) associated PPOs showed obvious enzyme activities after activation by either ethanol or cetylpyridinium chloride, or by AMM1 (a pupal protein fraction containing native serine proteases for PPO activation). Dose responses for association o... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5475782 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5475782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5475784&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22107841%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we identified the zebrafish (Danio rerio) IL-6 homologue by investigating the synteny between the human (Homo sapiens), the fugu (Takifugu rubripes) and the zebrafish genome. Although zebrafish IL-6 showed a low sequence homology with other IL-6 sequences in other species, it presented a high structural similarity to human IL-6. We also analysed IL-6 expression in several different tissues, along with analysis of the expression of the genes that form the IL-6 receptor complex, IL-6R and gp130. After treatment with bacterial or viral stimuli, zebrafish IL-6 expression was modulated in a manner similar to that of other proinflammatory molecules, such as IL-1β and TNF-α. The expression of IL-6, IL-6R and gp130 was also studied during the ontogeny of zebrafish larvae using qua... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5475784 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5475784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5475786&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22100879%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stěpánová K, Sinkora M Abstract The expression of selected molecules was chosen to study porcine γδ lymphocytes and their CD2/CD8 subsets in different lymphoid organs in vivo and in vitro. Results indicate that many γδ T cells can constitutively express CD25 and MHC-II and that the frequency of γδ T cells positive for CD25, CD11b, SWC1 and SWC7 can be increased by stimulation. A diversified TCRδ repertoire was found inside CD25(+), CD11b(+), SWC1(-) and CD45RA(-) cells. Ontogenetic studies revealed various age and/or colonization dependency for expression of all studied molecules except of SWC7. Findings generally indicate that CD25 represent an activation molecule that probably marks a functionally distinct subsets, expression of CD11b is perhaps connected to ea... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5475786 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5475786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5475785&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22101033%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chakravarthy N, Aravindan K, Kalaimani N, Alavandi SV, Poornima M, Santiago TC Abstract Copper Zinc Superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) is the family of most important antioxidant metalloenzymes that protects tissues from damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study, the intracellular copper zinc SOD from the Asian seabass Lates calcarifer (Lc-icCuZnSOD) was identified by RNA ligase mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RLM-RACE) technique. The full-length cDNA of Lc-icCuZnSOD consisted of 809 nucleotides with an open-reading frame of 465bp encoding 154 amino acids and N-Glycosylation site (NVTA) within. The predicted molecular mass of the protein is 15.84kDa with an estimated pI of 5.52. The deduced amino acid sequence of Lc-icCuZnSOD shared high degree o... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5475785 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5475785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5475787&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22093696%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Janardhana V, Tachedjian M, Crameri G, Cowled C, Wang LF, Baker ML Abstract Bats are natural reservoir hosts to a variety of viruses, many of which cause morbidity and mortality in other mammals. Currently there is a paucity of information regarding the nature of the immune response to viral infections in bats, partly due to a lack of appropriate bat specific reagents. IFNγ plays a key role in controlling viral replication and coordinating a response for long term control of viral infection. Here we describe the cloning and expression of IFNγ from the Australian flying fox, Pteropus alecto and the generation of mouse monoclonal and chicken egg yolk antibodies specific to bat IFNγ. Our results demonstrate that P. alecto IFNγ is conserved with IFNγ from other species an... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5475787 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5475787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5422771&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22079897%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sun L, Adams AA, Betancourt A, Stewart JC, Liu C, Horohov DW Abstract Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) plays an important role against viral and intracellular bacterial infections and its production is deficient in foals. Cellular proliferation provides an opportunity for de novo gene expression, though little is known about its role in regulating IFNγ expression in foals. While stimulation of foal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with concanavalin A (ConA) increased the frequency of IFNγ(+) cells, the overall percentage of IFNγ(+) cells remained below that of adults. By contrast, the proliferative response of foal PBMC was significantly greater than that of the adults. In foals, IFNγ production was predominantly associated with those T cells that underwent prolifera... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5422771 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5422771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5422770&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085780%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rinkevich B, Douek J, Rabinowitz C, Paz G Abstract Allorecognition, distinguishing self from non-self allogeneic tissues is the underlying basis of innate immunity. In the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri this historecognition is governed at a single genetic locus, Fu/HC (for fusibility/histocompatibility), with hundreds of co-dominantly expressed alleles. Several years ago, De Tomaso et al. (2005) have revolutionized the discipline of invertebrate allorecognition by describing a novel form of immune recognition in B. schlosseri, a non-vertebrate candidate histocompatibility gene (cFu/HC), revealing that allorecognition machinery in urochordates has nothing in common with the vertebrates' MHC-based histocompatibility. The authors reported absolute concordance of fusi... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5422770 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5422770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5422769&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085781%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zaidman-Rémy A, Regan JC, Brandão AS, Jacinto A Abstract Immune cells not only patrol the body in the circulation but also importantly, associate with specific tissues, such as the intestinal epithelium. The complex interactions between immune cells and their target tissues are difficult to study and simple, genetically tractable models are lacking. Here, we present the first thorough characterization of gut-associated macrophages in Drosophila larvae. We analyze their gene expression, morphology, development and lineage and importantly, demonstrate that they are functional (phagocytic) macrophages. We test their regulation by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and show evidence that this pathway regulates the population size of gut hemocytes and their phagocytic activity,... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5422769 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5422769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5422768&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085782%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Maruyama T, Iijima R, Nakao M PMID: 22085782 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5422768 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5422768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5422767&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22085783%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Parisi MG, Toubiana M, Mangano V, Parrinello N, Cammarata M, Roch P Abstract Three macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)-related sequences were identified from a Mytilus galloprovincialis EST library. The consensus sequence included a 5'-UTR of 32 nucleotides, the complete ORF of 345 nucleotides, and a 3'-UTR of 349 nucleotides. As for other MIFs, M. galloprovincialis ORF does not include any signal or C-terminus extensions. The translated sequence of 115 amino acids possesses a molecular mass of 12,681.4, a pI of 6.27 and a stability index of 21.48. Its 3D structure resembles human MIF except for one shorter α-helix. Although evolutionary separated from ticks and vertebrates, Mg-MIF appeared to be closely related to Pinctada fucata and Haliotis, but not to Chlamys... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5422767 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5422767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282043&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21527278%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Strandskog G, Villoing S, Iliev DB, Thim HL, Christie KE, Jørgensen JB Abstract Both CpG oligodeoxynucleotides and double-stranded RNA (poly I:C) have documented effects as treatments against several viral diseases in fish. However, as stand-alone treatments their effects have been modest. We have tested here whether CpG and poly I:C, alone or in combination induce protection against Salmonid Alphavirus (SAV), the causative agent of pancreas disease in Atlantic salmon. Our results revealed a significant reduction of viraemia 2 weeks after ip injection of the combined treatment and 1 week after challenge with SAV subtype 3, followed by reduced SAV induced heart pathology 3 weeks later. The SAV titers in blood samples from the combination group were lower as compared to sin... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282043 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:16:38 +0100 5282043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282042&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21527281%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Xiang Z, Qi L, Chen W, Dong C, Liu Z, Liu D, Huang M, Li W, Yang G, Weng S, He J Abstract A growing family of cellular proteins encoding for caspase activation and the recruitment domain (CARD) plays a crucial role in immunity by sensing viral infections and signaling antiviral immune defenses. We obtained a MAVS-like protein (named TnMAVS) from Tetradon nigroviridis, which contains a CARD domain, a pro-rich domain, and a TM domain similar to human MAVS. A fluorescence assay showed that TnMAVS was located in the cytoplasm and near by the membrane, and not the mitochondria in FHM cells. As such, it was considered as a new member of MAVS. The TnMAVS was highly expressed in the liver and muscle of T. nigroviridis. In the spleen, TnMAVS was down-regulated when the fish was tre... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282042 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:16:29 +0100 5282042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282041&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21527283%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we performed comparative and evolutionary analyses of CIKSs from metazoans. Although nematode (Caenorabditis elegans) and sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) have IL17 and IL17 receptors, we found no CIKS in their genomes. The ancient CIKS-like (CIKSL) genes from the invertebrates lottia (Lottia gigantea) and amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) have an additional DEATH domain compared with other CIKSLs/CIKSs. Our data suggest that the ancient CIKSL evolved into early chordate CIKS possibly through gene tandem duplication and gene fission. Based on phylogenetic and synteny analyses, vertebrate CIKS genes are divided into two groups, one of which is orthologous to human CIKS and the other is paralogous. Expression analysis indicated that cephalochordata amphioxus IL17 to... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282041 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:16:20 +0100 5282041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282040&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21530576%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Käser T, Gerner W, Saalmüller A Abstract Tregs are known for their suppressive capacity on various immune reactions. In swine, existence as well as suppressive activity of Foxp3(+) Tregs could be demonstrated but detailed functional investigations are lacking. Therefore, we analysed the functional properties of porcine Tregs. We observed that besides TCR stimulation Tregs require IL-2 for activation. Furthermore, we investigated the following mechanisms of suppression: (i) cell-cell contact dependency, (ii) production of soluble suppressive factors and (iii) competition for growth factors. Our experiments revealed that suppression by porcine Tregs is abrogated by blocking cell-cell contact or by supplementing excessive amounts of IL-2. Additionally it could be shown that... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282040 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:16:11 +0100 5282040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282039&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21530577%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chen G, Zhang C, Li C, Wang C, Xu Z, Yan P Abstract Acute viral necrosis virus (AVNV) was newly reported as one causative agent responsible for mass mortality of adult Chinese scallop Chlamys farreri, which is widely cultured on northern China coast. Unfortunately, the interaction between virus and host is largely unknown. According to these, this study was undertaken to deeply explore the immune response of haemocyte against AVNV. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was introduced to produce protein expression profiles from samples taken at 24h post-infection (hpi) from the haemocytes of C. farreri that were either specific pathogen free or else infected with AVNV. Forty-eight protein spots, which consistently showed either a marked change (≥1.5-fold difference) ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282039 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:16:02 +0100 5282039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282038&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21530580%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, an IL-8 homologue has been cloned and identified from South African clawed frog Xenopus laevis (designated XlIL-8). The open reading frame (ORF) of XlIL-8 consists of 312 bases encoding a protein of 103 amino acids. The chemokine CXC domain, which contained Glu-Leu-Arg (ELR) motif and four cysteine residues, was well conserved in South African clawed frog IL-8. By quantitative real-time PCR, mRNA transcript of XlIL-8 was detectable in all the examined tissues with higher level in spleen and kidney. The temporal expression of XlIL-8 mRNA in the monocytes was up-regulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and reached the maximum level at about 6h post-stimulation. Recombinant soluble XlIL-8 (XlsIL-8) was fused with a small ubiquitin-related modifier gene (SUMO) to enhanc... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282038 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:15:52 +0100 5282038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282037&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21530581%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sullivan JT, Bulman CA, Salamat Z Abstract Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) to which the internal defense system (IDS) of both vertebrates and invertebrates responds. We measured the mitotic response of the hematopoietic tissue of the schistosome-transmitting snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, to crude LPS from Escherichia coli 0127:B8. In a dose-response study, snails were injected with a range of concentrations of crude LPS, and mitotic figures were enumerated in histological sections of amebocyte-producing organ (APO) fixed at 24h post-injection (PI) following a 6h treatment with 0.1% colchicine. In APOs from Salvador strain snails, which are genetically resistant to infection with Schistosoma mansoni, LPS concentrations of 0.01mg/ml... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282037 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:15:43 +0100 5282037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282036&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21530582%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Grayfer L, Hodgkinson JW, Belosevic M Abstract The slow growth rate of Mycobacterium spp. that infect humans coupled with a lack of reliable in vitro infection model systems has hindered the progress of research in host cell-mycobacteria interactions. Recent studies have utilized the relatively fast growing Mycobacterium marinum to examine the host-pathogen interface in natural fish hosts. Here we describe the use of primary goldfish monocyte and mature macrophage cultures to investigate the immune cell-M. marinum interactions. Live and heat-killed M. marinum abrogated the recombinant goldfish (rg)TNFα2 and rgIFNγ-induced monocyte reactive oxygen production. Live but not heat-killed M. marinum also ablated rgIFNγrel and rg-TNFα2 induced macrophage nitric oxide producti... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282036 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:15:33 +0100 5282036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282035&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21540051%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang Y, Zhu S Abstract Ixodid ticks transmit a variety of pathogens by blood feeding. Here, we report computational identification of two multigene families of defensin-like peptides (DLPs) in the Ixodes scapularis genome, one corresponding to scapularisin and the other named scasin. Members in the scapularisin family share high sequence similarity to some antibacterial ancient invertebrate-type defensins (AITDs) isolated from primitive insects, arachnids, bivalvia, and fungi whereas scasins represent a novel family of DLPs identified by their overall acidic molecular surface and low sequence similarity to any known defensins. Codon-substitution models support neutral evolution in scapularisins but strong positive selection signal was found throughout the molecules of scas... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282035 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:15:24 +0100 5282035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282034&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21540052%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pinto RD, Pereira PJ, Dos Santos NM Abstract The transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP), play an important role in the MHC class I antigen presentation pathway. In this work, sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) TAP1 and TAP2 genes and transcripts were isolated and characterized. Only the TAP2 gene is structurally similar to its human orthologue. As other TAP molecules, sea bass TAP1 and TAP2 are formed by one N-terminal accessory domain, one core membrane-spanning domain and one canonical C-terminal nucleotide-binding domain. Homology modelling of the sea bass TAP dimer predicts that its quaternary structure is in accordance with that of other ABC transporters. Phylogenetic analysis segregates sea bass TAP1 and TAP2 into each subfamily cluster of transporters, p... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282034 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:15:14 +0100 5282034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282048&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21945134%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Montgomery BC, Cortes HD, Burshtyn DN, Stafford JL Abstract Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) leukocyte immune-type receptors (IpLITRs) are immunoregulatory proteins belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily that likely play an important role in the regulation of teleost immune cell effector responses. IpLITRs are expressed by myeloid and lymphoid subsets and based on their structural features can be classified as either putative stimulatory or inhibitory forms. We have recently demonstrated at the biochemical and functional levels that stimulatory IpLITR-types induced intracellular signaling cascades resulting in immune cell activation. Conversely, we have shown that putative inhibitory IpLITRs may abrogate immune cell response by recruiting teleost Src homology 2 (... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282048 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5282048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282046&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21945832%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mitta G, Adema CM, Gourbal B, Loker ES, Theron A Abstract Coevolutionary dynamics in host-parasite interactions potentially lead to an arms race that results in compatibility polymorphism. The mechanisms underlying compatibility have remained largely unknown in the interactions between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and Schistosoma mansoni, one of the agents of human schistosomiasis. This review presents a combination of data obtained from field and laboratory studies arguing in favor of a matching phenotype model to explain compatibility polymorphism. Investigations focused on the molecular determinants of compatibility have revealed two repertoires of polymorphic and/or diversified molecules that have been shown to interact: the parasite antigens S. mansoni polymorphic ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282046 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5282046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282045&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21945833%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we cloned and characterised a Toll gene from Scylla paramamosain (SpToll). Bioinformatic analysis predicted that SpToll contained one open reading frame of 3018bp and encoded a single-pass transmembrane domain protein of 1005 amino acids. Further, SpToll could be clustered into one branch along with other arthropod Tolls in a phylogenetic tree. SpToll transcripts could be detected by RT-PCR from all tissues examined including the heart, gill, hepatopancreas, stomach, intestine, muscle, eyestalk and hemocytes. Infection by Vibrio parahemolyticus up-regulated SpToll mRNA expression in hemocytes after 48h. The profile of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) domain of SpToll in three healthy crabs was then evaluated. Two hundred and twenty SN... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282045 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5282045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282044&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21945834%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang J, Nakad R, Schulenburg H Abstract The FOXO family of transcription factors have recently been implicated in innate immunity, especially in case of DAF-16 from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. However, previous studies with this nematode proposed that DAF-16 is not directly activated by pathogens. Rather, DAF-16 mediates resistance if activated by some other cue as part of a general stress response. We specifically tested this notion by analysis of DAF-16 nuclear translocation and thus regulatory activity upon exposure to pathogenic Bacillus thuringiensis. Our results demonstrate that DAF-16 nuclear translocation is indeed particularly induced in response to bacterial pathogenicity, whereas infection load alone has little effect. Translocation is strongest at an e... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282044 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5282044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5282047&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21945730%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chettri JK, Raida MK, Kania PW, Buchmann K Abstract Innate immune factors play a crucial role in survival of young fish especially during early stages of life when adaptive immunity is not fully developed. In the present study, we investigated the immune response of rainbow trout (Onchorhynchusmykiss) larvae and fry at an early stage of development. We exposed 17 and 87°days post hatch larvae and fry (152 and 1118 degree days post hatch; avg. wt. 70 and 770mg, respectively) to the bacterial pathogen, Yersiniaruckeri for 4h by bath challenge. Samples were taken at 4, 24, 72 and 96h post exposure for qPCR and immunohistochemical analyses to elucidate the immune response mounted by these young fish. Larvae showed no mortality although infected larvae at 48h post exposure sho... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5282047 Sat, 10 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5282047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5247712&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21930155%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Valanne S, Kallio J, Kleino A, Rämet M Abstract NF-κB signaling is an immune response mechanism remarkably conserved through phylogeny. The genetically tractable model animal Drosophila melanogaster is an important model organism for studying NF-κB signaling in the immune response. Fruit flies have two NF-κB signaling pathways: the Toll and the Imd pathway. Traditional genetic screens have revealed many important aspects about the regulation of Drosophila NF-κB signaling and have helped us to also understand the immune response in humans. For example, the discovery that Toll like receptors are the main immune signaling molecules in mammals was based on work in flies. During the past decade high throughput RNA interference (RNAi)-based screening in cultured Drosophila ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5247712 Sat, 10 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5247712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5247714&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21925537%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chen H, Bernstein H, Ranganathan P, Schluter SF Abstract In a recent publication we demonstrated that somatic hypermutation occurs in the V region of the TCR γ gene of the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus). We hypothesize that similar mechanisms are used to generate somatic mutations in both immunoglobulin and TCR γ genes of the sharks. Two distinct patterns of mutation occur, single nucleotide mutations (point mutations) and mutations comprising 2-5 consecutive bases (tandem mutations). Our data indicates that point mutations occur by a mechanism similar to that of somatic hypermutation in immunoglobulin genes of mammals, whereas tandem mutations may be generated by an error-prone DNA polymerase with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-like activity. Shark h... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5247714 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5247714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5247713&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21925538%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ma G, Rahman MM, Grant W, Schmidt O, Asgari S Abstract Endotoxins from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis are used worldwide to control insect pests and vectors of diseases. Despite extensive use of the toxins as sprays and in transgenic crops, their mode of action is still not completely known. Here we show that two crystal toxins binding to different glycoprotein receptors have similar glycolipid binding properties. The glycolipid binding domain was identified in a recombinant peptide representing the domain II of the crystal toxin Cry1Ac (M-peptide). The recombinant M-peptide was isolated from bacterial lysates as a mixture of monomers and dimers and formed tetramers upon binding to glycolipid microvesicles from gut tissues and lipid particles from hemolymph plas... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5247713 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5247713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5247715&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21925207%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fullaondo A, Lee SY Abstract Drosophila melanogaster is a useful model system for deciphering mammalian biological processes including development, innate immunity and cancer. Most genetic studies conducted in Drosophila have focused on the immune response against microbial infection and the results obtained have been extrapolated to other organisms. During the last decade the issue of the antiviral response attracted a great deal of interest. In this review we highlight recent discoveries in the role of RNA interference pathway in antiviral response in Drosophila with a focus on the role of miRNAs as both host defense elements and helpers of viral replication. PMID: 21925207 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5247715 Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5247715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5233395&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21914453%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Su J, Heng J, Huang T, Peng L, Yang C, Li Q Abstract Toll-like receptor 22 (TLR22) plays a crucial role in response to virus infection by recognizing double stranded RNA (dsRNA) in aquatic animals. In the present study, a TLR22 homologue gene was identified and characterized from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) (CiTLR22). CiTLR22 genomic sequence comprises 4754 base pairs (bp), containing one intron. The cDNA sequence consists of 3831bp, encoding a protein of 954 amino acid residues. CiTLR22 was constitutively expressed in all 15 investigated tissues, highly in gill and lowly in liver and spleen. The expression profile of CiTLR22 in spleen was rapidly and significantly up-regulated at 6h (456.13-fold, P<0.05), then rapidly recovered to normal level at 12h (P>0.0... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5233395 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5233395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219517&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21911003%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Giang DT, Van Driessche E, Beeckmans S Abstract Pangasianodon hypophthalmus serum was fractionated by affinity chromatography on 12 different Sepharose-carbohydrate columns and proteins eluted by the corresponding sugar. Binding to the affinity matrices is dependent on Ca(2+) ions. Upon gel filtration using Superose-12, essentially one fraction was obtained, eluting as a protein with a molecular mass of about 900kDa. SDS-PAGE in reducing conditions revealed the presence of large (72kDa) subunits (H-chains) and one up to three small (24, 26 and/or 28-29kDa) subunits (L-chains). The isolated proteins were shown to be IgM since they bind monoclonal anti-P. hypophthalmus IgM antibodies. Rabbit polyclonal anti-galactose-binding IgM only cross-react with some sugar-binding IgM. ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219517 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219516&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21911004%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rothwell L, Hu T, Wu Z, Kaiser P Abstract In mammals, interleukin-21 (IL-21) is an immunomodulatory cytokine with pleiotropic effects on the proliferation, differentiation and effector functions of T, B, NK and dendritic cells. A cDNA encoding the chicken orthologue of IL-21 (chIL-21) was cloned by RT-PCR from RNA isolated from activated chicken splenocytes and consists of 438 nucleotides, encoding an open reading frame of 145 amino acids (aa). Chicken IL-21 has 20-30% aa identity to its orthologues in mammals, Xenopus and fish, but is more highly conserved within Aves (50-80%). The four alpha-helical bundle structure of mammalian IL-21 appears to be conserved in the predicted chicken protein, as are the four cysteine residues required for the formation of two disulphide b... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219516 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219522&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21896283%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vasta GR, Nita-Lazar M, Giomarelli B, Ahmed H, Du S, Cammarata M, Parrinello N, Bianchet MA, Mario Amzel L Abstract Protein-carbohydrate interactions mediated by lectins have been recognized as key components of innate immunity in vertebrates and invertebrates, not only for recognition of potential pathogens, but also for participating in downstream effector functions, such as their agglutination, immobilization, and complement-mediated opsonization and killing. More recently, lectins have been identified as critical regulators of mammalian adaptive immune responses. Fish are endowed with virtually all components of the mammalian adaptive immunity, and are equipped with a complex lectin repertoire. In this review, we discuss evidence suggesting that: (a) lectin repertoires... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219522 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219518&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21907235%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: van der Aa LM, Jouneau L, Laplantine E, Bouchez O, Van Kemenade L, Boudinot P Abstract TRIM proteins have recently emerged as novel players in antiviral defense. TRIM proteins contain a tri-partite motif, composed of a RING zinc finger, one or two B-boxes and a coiled-coil domain. Many members of this large protein family of E3 ubiquitin ligases catalyze the attachment of ubiquitin to a substrate protein, an activity dependent on the RING domain. We earlier made a full description of the TRIM gene family in zebrafish and pufferfish and identified three multigene TRIM subsets, a feature unique to fish. To determine their biological role, we further characterized members of the finTRIM subset. FinTRIM gene expression was studied during development and in multiple tissues in ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219518 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219521&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21906621%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mu Y, Lan JF, Zhang XW, Wang XW, Zhao XF, Wang JX Abstract White spot disease caused by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) leads to devastating losses in shrimp farming. The WSSV envelope proteins VP28, can be used as subunit vaccines that can efficiently protect shrimp against WSSV disease. However, the function of the envelope protein VP19 was not confirmed, some researches found that VP19 could protect shrimp against WSSV, and other reports found it no any protection. To detect the functions of VP28 and VP19 and find a method to prevent this disease in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, we constructed the plasmid vectors pIevp28 and pIevp19, which containing the ie1 promoter and coding region of vp28 or vp19 of WSSV, respectively. The results of quantitative real-tim... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219521 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219520&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21906622%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Grayfer L, Belosevic M Abstract This is the first report of the identification and molecular characterization of an interleukin-10 receptor 1 in bony fish. By gene synteny analysis, we identified the zebrafish interleukin-10 receptor 1 (IL10R1) and using this IL10R1 sequence, we cloned the goldfish IL10R1 cDNA transcript. The identified fish IL10R1 protein sequences had a putative JAK1 binding site, only one of the two STAT3 binding sites, that are present in all other vertebrates IL10R1 proteins as well as C-terminal serine rich areas, believed to be responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of IL10R1. Phylogenetically, the fish IL10R1 proteins grouped independently of the amphibian, avian and mammalian IL10R1s. Quantitative gene expression analysis of the IL10R1 o... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219520 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219519&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21906623%26dopt%3DAbstract "Ranaviruses: An emerging threat to ectothermic vertebrates" Report of the First International Symposium on Ranaviruses, Minneapolis MN July 8, 2011. Dev Comp Immunol. 2011 Aug 26; Authors: Robert J, Gregory Chinchar V Abstract This is a report of the First International Symposium on Ranaviruses held on July 8, 2011 in conjunction with the annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The emerging threat of ranavirus infectious diseases to the global biodiversity of ectothermic vertebrates was addressed by 23 scientists from nine countries with expertise in ecology, pathology, virology, veterinary medicine and immunology. PMID: 21906623 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunolog... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219519 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219524&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21893091%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Martinez-Alonso S, Vakharia VN, Saint-Jean SR, Pérez-Prieto S, Tafalla C Abstract Virus like particles (VLPs) against viral pathogens not only constitute a novel approach for the development of antiviral vaccines for an specific virus, but also for the creation of multivalent vaccines in which antigens from other pathogens may be expressed on the surface of these VLPs. Despite positive results on protection for many of these VLPs in both fish and mammals, not many studies have focused on the immune response triggered by these particles; studies that may provide hints for the identification of immune mechanisms responsible for antiviral protection, which are mostly unknown in fish. In the current work, we have studied the levels of transcription of several immune genes in ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219524 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5219523&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21893092%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li XC, Du ZQ, Lan JF, Zhang XW, Mu Y, Zhao XF, Wang JX Abstract In vertebrates, the globular "head" of complement component C1q receptor (gC1qR) is a versatile, multiligand binding protein. However, research on its function in invertebrates is limited. In the present study, a full-length cDNA sequence of a novel gC1qR homolog, FcgC1qR, from the Chinese white shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis was cloned. Semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected FcgC1qR in all examined tissues, with the highest level detected in the intestine. Western blot assay further revealed that the FcgC1qR protein was distributed in all tested tissues except the cell-free hemolymph of normal Chinese white shrimp. In the expression pattern study, quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated t... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5219523 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5219523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5194440&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21884725%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we show that the NADPH oxidase subunit p47phox becomes phosphorylated in leukocytes stimulated with PRL, an effect that is blocked when neutralizing polyclonal antibodies to PRL are added. Additionally, the pharmacological inhibition of either protein kinase C (PKC) with calphostin C or the Jak/Stat signaling pathway with AG490 impaired PKC activation, p47phox phosphorylation and ROS production in seabream leukocytes activated with PRL. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time the need for PKC in regulating the PRL-mediated phosphorylation of p47phox, the activation of NADPH oxidase and the production of ROS by macrophages in vertebrates. PMID: 21884725 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5194440 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5194440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5178477&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21871485%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gerdol M, De Moro G, Manfrin C, Venier P, Pallavicini A Abstract Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a fundamental role in the innate immunity of invertebrates, preventing the invasion of potential pathogens. Mussels can express a surprising abundance of cysteine-rich AMPs pertaining to the defensin, myticin, mytilin and mytimycin families, particularly in the circulating hemocytes. Based on deep RNA sequencing of Mytilus galloprovincialis, we describe the identification, molecular diversity and constitutive expression in different tissues of five novel transcripts pertaining to the macin family (named mytimacins) and eight novel transcripts pertaining to the big defensins family (named MgBDs). The predicted antimicrobial peptides exhibit a N-terminal signal peptide, a posi... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5178477 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5178477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5157614&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21854803%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hlobeňová T, Sefc L, Chang KT, Savvulidi F, Michalová J, Nečas E Abstract Adult B-lymphopoiesis is suppressed by the inhibitory effects of elevated estrogens during pregnancy. At the same time, hematopoietic cells in the fetal liver are resistant to this suppression by estrogens and ensure active production of B-cells. We investigated whether this unresponsiveness to estrogens of fetal cells also applies to cells obtained from a newborn liver and projects into the adult hematopoiesis when fetal liver cells are transplanted to adult mice. Mixtures of fetal liver (E14.5), neonatal liver (P0.5) and adult bone marrow (BM) cells were co-transplanted into adult primary and secondary recipients treated with high doses of estrogen in the Ly5.1/Ly5.2 congenic mouse model. Total... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5157614 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5157614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5157613&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21855569%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Krusong K, Poolpipat P, Supungul P, Tassanakajon A Abstract Several isoforms of crustin have been identified in the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. These cationic cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides contain a single whey acidic protein (WAP) domain at the C-terminus and exhibit antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this paper, we investigate the binding properties and antimicrobial actions of crustinPm1 and crustinPm7, the two most abundant crustin isoforms found in the haemocyte of P. monodon. Previously, crustinPm1 showed strong inhibition against Gram-positive bacteria, whilst crustinPm7 acted against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A binding study showed that both crustins can bind to Gram-positive and Gram... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5157613 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5157613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5157612&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21855570%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we identified and analyzed an IκBα homologue, CsIκBα from half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), a marine flatfish with important economic value. The deduced amino acid sequence of CsIκBα contains 308 residues and shares 58-82% overall sequence identities with the IκBα of a number of teleosts. In silico analysis identified in CsIκBα conserved domains that in mammals are known to be involved in phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and degradation of IκBα. Quantitative real time RT-PCR detected constitutive expression of CsIκBα in gut, spleen, liver, gill, heart, brain, muscle, and kidney. Experimental challenge with a bacterial pathogen-induced significant inductions of CsIκBα expression in head and trunk kidney, which, however, were transient and much ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5157612 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5157612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141890&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21824491%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, PoMTAP gene was cloned and its expression profile was analyzed. The PoMTAP gene has a transcriptional regulatory region that includes two interferon-stimulated response elements and two IFN-γ activated sites. Expressions of PoMTAP and IFN-γ genes were up-regulated at the same time points during the DTH response, Edwardsiella tarda infection and VHSV infection. Furthermore, PoMTAP gene expressing cells also expressed CD3ε, confirming that PoMTAP is expressed by T lymphocytes. These results suggest that PoMTAP is a novel immune-related gene expressed by T lymphocytes that is preferentially induced by IFN-γ and has a role in Th1-mediated immune responses in Japanese flounder. PMID: 21824491 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immun... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141890 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141888&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21824492%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we show that the RNAi knockdown of termicin and GNBP2 expression via the ingestion of dsRNA significantly increases mortality in termites exposed to a naturally encountered strain of M. anisopliae. Termicin and GNBP2 knockdown also decrease external cuticular antifungal activity, indicating a direct role for these proteins in an external antifungal defense strategy that depends on the active dissemination of antifungal secretions among nestmates. PMID: 21824492 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141888 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141887&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21827783%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang PH, Liang JP, Gu ZH, Wan DH, Pang LR, Weng SP, Yu XQ, He JG Abstract Toll-like receptor-mediated NF-κB pathways are essential for inducing immune related-gene expression in the defense against bacterial, fungal and viral infections in insects and mammals. Although a Toll receptor (LvToll1) was cloned in Litopenaeus vannamei, relatively little is known about other types of Toll-like receptors and their endogenous cytokine-like ligand, Spätzle. Here, we report two novel Toll-like receptors (LvToll2 and LvToll3) and three Spätzle-like proteins (LvSpz1-3) from L. vannamei. LvToll2 has 1009 residues with an extracellular domain containing 18 leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) and a cytoplasmic Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain of 139 residues. LvToll3 is 1244 residues l... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141887 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5105883&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21801745%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ren Q, Zhou J, Jia YP, Wang XW, Zhao XF, Wang JX Ras-related protein Rap GTPase has been implicated in cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and cell junction formation. The first shrimp Rap cDNA (FcRap) was recently identified from the Chinese white shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The full length of FcRap is 1013bp, with a 561bp open reading frame that encodes a 186 amino acid protein. FcRap has a calculated molecular mass of 20.90kDa and pI of 6.37. Phylogenetic analysis shows that FcRap and other Rap proteins are clustered into one group. Results from the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction show that FcRap could be detected mainly in the hemocytes, hepatopancreas, stomach, and gills, whereas a relatively lower expression level could be detected in the heart and i... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5105883 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5105883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5105880&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21801746%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Shen Y, You F, Li C, He Z, Liang Z, Ai H, Wang S, Zhang S B-cell activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) induces B cell survival, proliferation, immunoglobulin secretion and has a role in enhancing immune responses. In the present study, we amplified the cDNA of goat (Capra hircus) BAFF (designated gBAFF) from spleen by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). The open reading frame (ORF) of gBAFF covers 843bp encoding 280 amino acids, with a 152-aa mature peptide. Sequence comparison indicated that the amino acid of gBAFF possessed the TNF signature, a transmembrane domain, a putative furin protease cleavage site and three cysteine residues. The predicted three-dimensional (3D) structure of the soluble part of gBAFF (gsBAFF) analyzed by "comparative protein modelling" revealed ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5105880 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5105880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5105885&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21798281%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li F, Wang L, Qiu L, Zhang H, Gai Y, Song L The whey acidic protein (WAP) domain is characterized by a 'four-disulfide-core' (4-DSC) motif comprising of approximately 50 amino acids with eight highly conserved cysteine residues. Previous research indicated that WAP domain-containing proteins played an important role in the innate immunity of crustaceans. In the present study, a novel double WAP domain (DWD)-containing protein gene was identified from Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis (designated EsDWD) by expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis and PCR techniques. The full-length cDNA of EsDWD was of 593bp, consisting of a 5'-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 71bp, a 3' UTR of 120bp with a polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA and a polyA tail, and an open reading fram... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5105885 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5105885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5105884&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21801744%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we report on the cloning and molecular characterization of goldfish GCSFR. The identified goldfish GCSFR sequence possesses the conserved Ig-like domain, the cytokine receptor homology domain (CRH), three fibronectin domains as well as several intracellular signaling motifs characteristic of other vertebrate GCSFRs. Goldfish gcsfr mRNA was highly expressed in kidney and spleen, and in primary kidney neutrophils. The neutrophils have significantly higher mRNA levels of the transcription factors pu.1 and cebpα, and down-regulated levels of transcription factors important for macrophage development such as egr1 and cjun, compared to progenitor cells from the kidney. The gcsfr mRNA was present in the kidney progenitor cells, albeit at much lower levels compared to the neutrophil... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5105884 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5105884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058714&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21767563%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kogut MH, Genovese KJ, Nerren JR, He H A class of innate receptors called the triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells (TREM) has been discovered and shown to be involved in innate inflammatory responses. The TREM family has been found in the chicken genome and consists of one activating gene (TREM-A1) and two inhibitory genes (TREM-B1 and TREM-B2). However, to date, there have been no reports on the effects of activating the TREM molecules on the functional activity of the primary avian polymorphonuclear cell, the heterophil. To characterize the activation of avian heterophils, we evaluated the effect of receptor ligation on heterophil effector functions. A specific agonistic antibody (Ab) was generated against the peptide sequence of chicken TREM-A1 38-51aa (YNPRQQRWR... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058714 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058713&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21767564%26dopt%3DAbstract This study may be helpful for the development of preventive measures against infectious diseases in fish. PMID: 21767564 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058713 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058712&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21767565%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Monegal A, Olichon A, Bery N, Filleron T, Favre G, Marco AD Independent variable domains with VH hallmarks have been repeatedly identified in immune and pre-immune VHH libraries. In some cases, stable independent VH domains have been also isolated in mouse and human recombinant antibody repertoires. However, we have come to realize that VHs were selected with a higher efficiency than VHHs during biopanning of a pre-immune (VHH) library. The biochemical and biophysical comparison did not indicate a presence of any feature that would favor the VH binders during the selection process. In contrast, selected VHHs seemed to be more stable than the VHs, ruling out the existence of a thermodynamically - favored VH sub-class. Therefore, we reasoned that a certain degree of thermodynami... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058712 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058715&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21762724%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dezfuli BS, Lui A, Giari L, Castaldelli G, Mulero V, Noga EJ Light, ultrastructural and immunocytochemical investigations were carried out on the skin of gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata L., naturally infected with lymphocystis iridovirus, to assess pathology and host cellular responses. Of 220,000 young seabream examined, 32,400 (14.7%) had clinical signs of lymphocystis and within 6months of disease appearance, 45% of clinically affected fish had died. A subsample of 20 S. aurata (80.0±12.5mm total length, mean±S.D.), including 10 with lymphocystis on the skin and 10 clinically normal, were examined via immunohistochemistry. Affected skin displayed macroscopic, wart-like clusters of hypertrophic fibroblasts which arose from the dermis and were covered by the epithelium. Cl... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058715 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058718&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21756933%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Moreira R, Balseiro P, Romero A, Dios S, Posada D, Novoa B, Figueras A The carpet shell clam (Ruditapes decussatus) and Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum), which are cultured bivalve species with important commercial value, are affected by diseases that result in large economic losses. Because the molecular mechanism of the immune response of bivalves, especially clams, is scarce and fragmentary, we have examined all Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) resources available in public databases for these two species in order to increase our knowledge on genes related with the immune function in these animals. After automatic annotation and classification of the 3784 not-annotated ESTs of R. decussatus and 4607 of R. philippinarum found in GenBank, 424 ESTs of R. decussatus and 464 o... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058718 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058717&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21756934%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, the finding of three g-type lysozymes in O. hupensis provides structural and functional evidence of multiple g-type lysozymes in gastropod, which may have evolutional implication in the snail-trematode system. PMID: 21756934 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058717 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058716&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21756935%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated the antibacterial and immunomodulatory functions of TH2-3 in mice infected with the pathogen, Vibrio vulnificus. A TH2-3 injection in V. vulnificus-infected mice produced an increased survival rate compared to mice injected with V. vulnificus only. In addition, a TH2-3 injection increased the bacteriostatic property against V. vulnificus in mice. Gene expressions examined using a microarray demonstrated that TH2-3 modulated several V. vulnificus-responsive genes in the host. A neutralizing antibody assay of mice serum against inactivated V. vulnificus antigen-coated plates demonstrated the induction of an immune response by TH2-3 against the pathogen. Taken together, TH2-3 enhanced the survival rate of mice against the bacterial pathogen V. vulnificus through... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058716 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058719&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21741991%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Diesterbeck US, Aboelhassan DM, Stein SK, Czerny CP In the cattle breeds German Black Pied (GBP), German Simmental (GS), Holstein Friesian (HF), Aubrac (A) three transcribed allotypic variants in isotype IGLC2 and five allotypic variants in isotype IGLC3 were identified. Substitutions within the putative interface to CH1 at position 11 and 79 were noted. In IGLC2(b), K79E led to a charge conversion. In IGLC3(b) and IGLC3(c), the E79N replacement removed the charge while the T11K substitution resulted in a positively charged amino acid residue. In addition, D15 and T16 were found in IGLC2(c), IGLC3(b), and IGLC3(c). Substitutions located on the outer site of the molecule were observed in IGLC2(b) (V40, H45.5), IGLC2(c) (A1, V40, D77), IGLC3(b) (A1, D77, D109, P127), IGLC3(c) (A... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058719 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058722&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21740925%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Revathy KS, Umasuthan N, Lee Y, Whang I, Kim HC, Lee J Thioredoxin (TRx) is a small redox protein that plays significant roles in protection against oxidative stress and in cell homeostasis by maintaining oxidized proteins in a reduced state. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of a full-length TRx cDNA sequence from manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum and named it as RpTRx. The full length sequence consists of 1416bp with an open reading frame of 318bp encoding for 106 amino acids. RpTRx protein harbors evolutionarily-conserved TRx active site (32)WCGPC(36). Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close proximity of RpTRx with the orthologue in Japanese scallop, Chlamys farreri. RpTRx was found to be constitutively expressed in hemocyte, gill, mantle, foot and siph... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058722 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058721&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21740926%26dopt%3DAbstract This study reports the cloning and characteristics of a KLF from shrimp, Penaeus monodon (PmKLF). The full-length PmKLF cDNA is 1702bp, encoding a polypeptide of 360 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that the sequence of PmKLF is similar to that of KLF11 in humans, mice and zebrafish. RT-PCR analysis indicated that PmKLF mRNA is expressed in all examined tissues. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed that GFP-KLF fusion protein is located in the nucleus as dots in an insect cell line, Sf9. Localization of PmKLF in the nucleus is also observed in the hemolymph from white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)-infected and WSSV-uninfected Litopenaeus vannamei. Knockdown of the expression of PmKLF transcript in WSSV-infected shrimp resulted in delayed cumulative mortalities, suggesting... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058721 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5058720&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21741400%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lapcharoen P, Komalamisra N, Rongsriyam Y, Wangsuphachart V, Dekumyoy P, Prachumsri J, Kajla MK, Paskewitz SM A cDNA encoding a lysozyme was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends-polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR) from females of the malaria vector Anopheles dirus A (Diptera: Culicidae). The 623bp lysozyme (AdLys c-1) cDNA encodes the 120 amino acid mature protein with a predicted molecular mass of 13.4kDa and theoretical pI of 8.45. Six cysteine residues and a potential calcium binding motif that are present in AdLys c-1 are highly conserved relative to those of c-type lysozymes found in other insects. RT-PCR analysis of the AdLys c-1 transcript revealed its presence at high levels in the salivary glands both in larval and adult stages and in the larval caecum. dsRNA... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5058720 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5058720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5011291&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21736897%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang PH, Wan DH, Pang LR, Gu ZH, Qiu W, Weng SP, Yu XQ, He JG In vertebrates, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor (TNFR) system participates in diverse physiological and pathological events, such as inflammation and protective immune responses to microbial infections. There are few reports about the role of the invertebrate TNF-TNFR system in immune responses. Here, we isolated and characterized the TNF superfamily (LvTNFSF) gene, TNFR superfamily (LvTNFRSF) gene and lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α factor (LvLITAF) gene from Litopenaeus vannamei. LvTNFSF consists of 472 amino acids with a conserved C-terminal TNF domain and has 89.8% identity with the Marsupenaeus japonicus TNF superfamily gene. LvTNFRSF consists of 296 amino acids with a conserved TNFR domain and has 1... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5011291 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5011291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5011305&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21726578%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lin CY, Chen YM, Hsu HH, Shiu CT, Kuo HC, Chen TY Chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) from orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) was identified and characterized in this study. gCXCR4 shared common features in protein sequence and predicted structure of CXCR4 family. This suggested that gCXCR4 is a member of G protein-coupled receptors with seven transmembrane domains. The expression patterns revealed that gCXCR4 may play a key role in early development of grouper. Furthermore, overexpression of gCXCR4-GFP for 48h had significant effects on the GF-1 cell viability. gCXCR4 protein was mainly expressed in the marginal zone of head kidney and on the surface of intestinal villi. gCXCR4 expression can be detected in all the examined tissues and significantly up-regul... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5011305 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5011305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4963011&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21683733%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Young LJ, Cross ML, Duckworth JA, Flenady S, Belov K The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is an Australian marsupial. Here we describe the identification of possum interleukin-2 in mitogen-stimulated lymph node cells. We used a strategy of Rapid amplification of cDNA ends using probes designed from recently-sequenced marsupial genomes to identify the IL2 gene and then confirmed that IL-2 expression in possum immune tissue occurs in a similar manner to that in their eutherian counterparts. The predictive possum IL-2 peptide showed 28% and 35% amino acid sequence homology with the mouse and human IL-2 molecules, respectively, consistent with the divergence found within this cytokine family. Despite this low sequence identity, possum IL-2 still possessed the charac... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4963011 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4963011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4963010&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21683734%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, two distinct F-type lectins RbFTL-1 and RbFTL-2, from the rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus), were identified and their expression was analyzed. The full-length cDNA of RbFTL-1 was composed of 1204bp with a 945-bp open reading frame (ORF) that encoded a 314 amino-acid protein, while that of RbFTL-2 consisted of 1614bp with a 951-bp ORF encoding a 316 amino-acid protein. RbFTL-1 and RbFTL-2 mRNAs were predominately expressed in the head-kidney and in the liver, respectively. Levels of the RbFTL-1 mRNA transcript increased up to 5.0- and 2.8-fold in the head-kidney and trunk-kidney compared to the muscle, respectively, while those of the RbFTL-2 mRNA transcript increased up to 12.0-fold in liver. The expression of RbFTL-1 and RbFTL-2 were differentially up-regulated in rock br... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4963010 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4963010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4963013&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21664929%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yeh MS, Huang CJ, Guo CH, Liu KF, Tsai IH, Cheng W Complementary (c)DNA encoding selenophosphate synthetase (SPS) messenger (m)RNA of the tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, designated PmSPS, was obtained from the hepatopancreas by a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The 1582-bp cDNA contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 1248bp, a 103-bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR), and a 231-bp 3'-UTR, which contained a conserved selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element, a conventional polyadenylation signal, and a poly A tail. The molecular mass of the deduced amino acid (aa) sequence (416 aa) was 45.5kDa with an estimated pI of 4.85. It contained a putative selenocysteine residue which was encoded by the unusual stop... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4963013 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4963013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4963012&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21683091%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was primarily undertaken to identify the zebrafish sghC1q (or DrsghC1q) genes that increase their transcription in response to infection and to examine their transcriptional patterns during early development. Twenty sghC1q genes were found in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) genome (Zv9). Two of the examined twenty genes showed significant up-regulation within 24h of infection with the fish pathogen Streptococcus iniae, and eleven of the examined twenty were expressed during early development. Due to the clustered nature of these genes on chromosomes two and seven, intrachromosomal duplication events are hypothesized and explored. PMID: 21683091 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4963012 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4963012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592952&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21334374%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ren R, Xu X, Lin T, Weng S, Liang H, Huang M, Dong C, Luo Y, He J The systemic RNA interference defective protein (SID)-1 plays an important role in dsRNA uptake in cells. We identified the ScSidT2 gene from the mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi), which is the first-studied SID-1 homolog in fish. ScSidT2 mRNA is 3380bp long and contains a 2568-bp open reading frame that encodes an 855-amino-acid protein with an N-terminal signal peptide and ten putative transmembrane domains. Tissue distribution profile in healthy fish and expression profiles of ScSidT2 in infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV)-infected fish were analyzed. Overexpression of the ScSidT2 protein in fathead minnow (FHM) epithelial cells could remarkably increase the uptake of exogenous dsRNA. In tiger... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592952 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:15:41 +0100 4592952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592943&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21396955%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu HP, Chen RY, Zhang QX, Peng H, Wang KJ White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the most important viral pathogens in crustaceans. During WSSV infection, multiple cell signaling cascades are activated, leading to the generation of antiviral molecules and initiation of programmed cell death of the virus infected cells. To gain novel insight into cell signaling mechanisms employed in WSSV infection, we have used suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) to elucidate the cellular response to WSSV challenge at the gene level in red claw crayfish haematopoietic tissue (Hpt) stem cell cultures. Red claw crayfish Hpt cells were infected with WSSV for 1h (L1 library) and 12h (L12 library), respectively, after which the cell RNA was prepared for SSH using uninfected cells as dr... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592943 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592947&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21362440%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, comparative and evolutionary analyses were performed for TICAM-1, TICAM-2 and TIRAP within the range of 25 representative species. Our data show that the origin of the TICAM-like and TIRAP-like genes may coincide with the origin of chordates (amphioxus). Several putative TICAMs and TIRAPs were identified for different chordate species. Shark is the only non-mammalian species whose genome contains a TICAM-2 gene. Structural modeling and comparison of TIR domains of these adaptors support their potential functional motifs and residues. Together with analyses of other genes involved in the TLR signaling pathways, we speculate that TICAM-1, TICAM-2 and TIRAP might have co-evolved with the TLR3/22 antivirus signaling, the LPS-specific TLR4 signaling and the Gram-positive bacteria... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592947 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592945&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21377488%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Magor KE The role of the duck as the natural host and reservoir of influenza and efforts to vaccinate ducks during recent outbreaks of avian influenza has renewed interest in the duck antibody response. Ducks have unique antibody structures and expression, with consequences for their function. Aspects of immunoglobulin genetics, gene expression, and antibody function will be reviewed in the context of the duck immune response to influenza. Ducks have three immunoglobulin isotypes, IgM, IgA and IgY in translocon arrangement. The order of heavy chain genes in the locus is unusual, IGHM, IGHA and IGHY, with IGHA in inverse transcriptional orientation. IgH and IgL gene rearrangement in ducks involves limited V, (D) and J element recombination and diversity is generated by gene con... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592945 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592944&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21382408%26dopt%3DAbstract This study demonstrates that Ascaridia (A.) galli infection in chicken also elicits local gut-associated immune reactions and changes in the intestinal electrogenic nutrient transport. In A. galli-infected birds we observed infiltrations of different T cell populations in the intestinal lamina propria and accumulation of CD4+ lymphocytes in the epithelium. The Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 dominated the intestinal immune reactions following A. galli infection. A. galli-specific systemic IgY antibodies were detected after two weeks post infection, and did only poorly correlate with detected worm numbers. Electrogenic transport of alanin and glucose was impaired in A. galli-infected chicken. Our data provide circumstantial evidence that local immune responses and electro-physiological intesti... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592944 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592946&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21371503%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Renault T, Faury N, Barbosa-Solomieu V, Moreau K Virus-induced genes were identified using suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) from Pacific cupped oyster, Crassostrea gigas, haemocytes challenged by OsHV-1. A total of 304 clones from SSH forward library were sequenced. Among these sequences, some homologues corresponded to (i) immune related genes (macrophage express protein, IK cytokine, interferon-induced protein 44 or multicopper oxidase), (ii) apoptosis related genes (Bcl-2) and (iii) cell signalling and virus receptor genes (glypican). Molecular characterization and phylogenic analysis of 3 immune-related genes (macrophage expressed protein, multicopper oxidase and immunoglobulin domain cell adhesion molecule) were performed. Finally, quantitative PCR revealed sig... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592946 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592948&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21352850%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Takizawa F, Dijkstra JM, Kotterba P, Korytář T, Kock H, Köllner B, Jaureguiberry B, Nakanishi T, Fischer U CD8, belonging to the TCR complex, is the main marker molecule of CTLs. Although CD8 genes have been detected in many fish species, the analysis of teleost CD8(+) cells has been limited because of the lack of antibodies. Using newly established mAbs against rainbow trout CD8α, we found high ratios of CD8α(+) cells in trout thymus, gill and intestine, but relatively low abundance in pronephros, spleen and blood. Accordingly, tissue sections revealed many CD8α(+) cells in thymus, numerous intra- and subepithelial CD8α(+) cells in intestine and gill and few scattered CD8α(+) cells in spleen and pronephros. In secondary lymphoid tissues, CD8α(+) lymphocytes, which di... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592948 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592951&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21349283%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Barreto VM, Magor BG In the ten years since the discovery of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) there has been considerable effort to understand mechanisms behind this enzymes ability to target and modify immunoglobulin genes leading to somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination. While the majority of research has focused on mouse and human models of AID function, work on other species, from lamprey to rabbit and sheep, has taught us much about the scope of functions of the AID mutator. This review takes a species-comparative approach to what has been learned about the AID mutator enzyme and its role in humoral immunity. PMID: 21349283 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592951 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592950&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21349284%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhu S, Liu S, Wan L, Yang G, Yang H, Cheng J, Lu X Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) is a potent inhibitor of T cell activation. The genes encoding the membrane and soluble forms of Macaca mulatta CTLA4 (mmCTLA4) were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The predicted mmCTLA4 protein is nearly identical to human CTLA4 (hCTLA4), with the exception of a serine instead of an asparagine residue at position 49 and a leucine instead of a methionine residue at position 141 of its extracellular domain. The fusion protein mmCTLA4Ig, containing the extracellular domain of mmCTLA4 and the constant region of the human IgG1 antibody, was expressed in Pichia pastoris. The mmCTLA4Ig produced by P. pastoris exhibited specific binding to human B7-positive... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592950 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592949&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21349285%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the ferritin gene from Tegillarca granosa (denoted as TgFER) was identified by expressed sequence tag (EST) and PCR approaches. The full-length cDNA of TgFER was of 895bp, consisting of a 5'-UTR of 163bp with a putative iron regulatory element (IRE), a 3'-UTR of 213bp, and a complete open reading frame of 519bp encoding a polypeptide with 172 amino acid residues. The predicted molecular mass of deduced amino acid of TgFER was 20.00kDa and the theoretical pI was 4.89. The deduced amino acid of TgFER shared high identities to ferritin from abalone, oyster, clam and human. The tissue distribution of TgFER in the tissues of mantle, foot, gill, haemocytes and hepatopancreas was examined by quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR) and mRNA transcripts of TgFER were found to be dominatel... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592949 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4592949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479240&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21316389%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hetland DL, Dale OB, Skjødt K, Press CM, Falk K The virulence of an infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) isolate is influenced by the response of the host's immune system to virus infection. Here we report the fate of immune responsive cells in head kidney, spleen and gills of Atlantic salmon during infection with high and low virulent strains of ISAV. A comparison of real-time PCR detection of virus and immunohistochemical detection of immune responsive cells revealed that peak viral load was coincident with both an elevated presence of MHC class I cells and a marked depletion of CD8 alpha cells. There was a larger CD8 alpha population in tissues from salmon infected with the low virulent strain compared with tissues from salmon infected with the high virulent strain at ea... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479240 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479239&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21316390%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kawabata SI, Iijima R, Nakao M PMID: 21316390 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479239 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479241&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21300090%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ye J, Bromage E, Kaattari I, Kaattari S To date, immunologists have operated with two primary paradigms governing the antibody response: 1) that affinity maturation is primarily dependent upon antigen-driven selection of both the germline and somatically amended repertoires, and 2) that antibody effector function is isotypically determined. The teleost model now suggests that these classical paradigms should be broadened to incorporate the ability of the B cell to transduce the strength of antigen recognition (affinity) into structural modifications of its antibody product, which, in turn, modulates the antibody's effector function. Although this relationship, thus far, has only been examined and demonstrated in the teleost, we find a number of the individual elements of this ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479241 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479246&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21295066%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nomiyama H, Osada N, Yoshie O Chemokines receptors are involved in the recruitment of various cell types in inflammatory and physiological conditions. There are 23 known chemokine receptor genes in the human genome. However, it is still unclear how many chemokine receptors exist in the genomes of various vertebrate species other than human and mouse. Moreover, the orthologous relationships are often obscure between the genes of higher and lower vertebrates. In order to provide a basis for a unified nomenclature system of the vertebrate chemokine receptor gene family, we have analysed the chemokine receptor genes from the genomes of 16 vertebrate species, and classify them into 29 orthologous groups using phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses. The results reveal a conti... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479246 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479245&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21295067%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we determined the effects of norepinephrine (NE) on immunity and the pathway of its function in the freshwater giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The total hemocyte count (THC), differential hemocyte count (DHC), phenoloxidase activity, respiratory bursts, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, phagocytic activity, and clearance efficiency in response to the pathogen, Lactococcus garvieae, were measured when the freshwater giant prawn, M. rosenbergii (16.2±2.1g) was individually injected with saline or NE at 0.5, 5.0, and 50.0pmolprawn(-1). Results showed that semi-granular cells, respiratory bursts and phagocytic activity at 2h, PO activity and clearance efficiency from 2 to 4h, THC at 8h, and SOD activity from 4 to 8h significantly decreased, but hyaline cells at 2h, a... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479245 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479244&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21295068%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cui H, Yan Y, Wei J, Huang X, Huang Y, Ouyang Z, Qin Q Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 7 plays a crucial role in modulating cellular responses to viral infection and cytokines, including interferons (IFNs). In the present study, a novel IRF7 gene (designated as EcIRF7) was cloned and characterized from orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. The full-length EcIRF7 cDNA is composed of 2089bp and encodes a polypeptide of 433 amino acids with 81% identity to IRF7 of Siniperca chuatsi, and the genomic DNA of EcIRF7 consists of 9 exons and 8 introns, with a length of approximately 5629bp. EcIRF7 contains three conserved domains including a DNA-binding domain (DBD), an IRF associated domain (IAD) and a serine-rich domain, all of which are highly conserved across species. Re... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479244 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479243&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21295069%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gerdol M, Manfrin C, De Moro G, Figueras A, Novoa B, Venier P, Pallavicini A The key component of the classical complement pathway C1q is regarded as a major connecting link between innate and acquired immunity due to the highly adaptive binding properties of its trimeric globular domain gC1q. The gC1q domain also characterizes many non-complement proteins involved in a broad range of biological processes including apoptosis, inflammation, cell adhesion and cell differentiation. In molluscs and many other invertebrates lacking of adaptive immunity, C1q domain containing (C1qDC) proteins are abundant, they most probably emerged as lectins and subsequently evolved in a specialized class of pattern recognition molecules through the expanding interaction properties of gC1q. Here w... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479243 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479242&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21295070%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Conlon JM, Mechkarska M, Ahmed E, Coquet L, Jouenne T, Leprince J, Vaudry H, Hayes MP, Padgett-Flohr G Population declines due to chytridiomycosis among frogs belonging to the Amerana (Rana boylii) species group from western North America have been particularly severe. Norepinephrine-stimulated skin secretions from the Oregon spotted frog Rana pretiosa Baird and Girard, 1853 were collected from individuals that had been previously infected with the causative agent Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis but had proved resistant to developing chytridiomycosis. These secretions contained a more diverse array of antimicrobial peptides than found in other species from the Amerana group and 14 peptides were isolated in pure form. Determination of their primary structures identified the pept... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479242 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479248&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21277325%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Robert J, Cohen N The Xenopus model for immunological research offers a collection of invaluable research tools including MHC-defined clones, inbred strains, cell lines, and monoclonal antibodies. Further, the annotated full genome sequence of Xenopus tropicalis and its remarkable conservation of gene organization with mammals, as well as ongoing genome mapping and mutagenesis studies in X. tropicalis, add a new dimension to the study of immunity. In this paper, we review uses of this amphibian model to study: the development of the immune system; vascular and lymphatic regeneration; immune tolerance; tumor immunity; immune responses to important emerging infectious diseases; and the evolution of classical and non-classical MHC class I genes. We also discuss the rich potential... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479248 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4479247&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21277326%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chapman RW PMID: 21277326 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4479247 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4479247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414284&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21272597%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we demonstrate the presence of teleost CD4- and CD8α-positive T cell subsets with morphology, tissue distribution and gene expression similar to those of mammalian CD4- and CD8-positive T lymphocytes. Using mAbs we found that CD4/CD8 double positive T cells are only present in the thymus, suggesting that it is the site of T cell development. We further demonstrated in vitro proliferation of CD4 positive T cells by allogeneic combination of mixed leukocyte culture and antigen-specific proliferation of CD4 positive T cells after in vitro sensitization with OVA. In our previous study we showed that CD8α-positive lymphocytes are the primary cell type showing specific cytotoxicity against allogeneic targets. Collectively, these findings suggest that CD4 and CD8α positive T cell... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414284 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4414284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414304&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21256861%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Edholm ES, Wilson M, Bengten E Four major ancesteral IgL isotypes have been identified κ, λ, σ and σ-cart. However, depending on the vertebrate class the genomic representation of these isotypes differs in regards to what is encoded in the germline and how these genes are organized. Also, the relative contribution of each isotype in immune responses varies. This review focuses on the IgL chains of ectothermic vertebrates, specifically the number of different isotypes, their phylogenetic relationship, genomic organizations and expression. PMID: 21256861 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414304 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4414304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349924&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21199664%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Woramongkolchai N, Supungul P, Tassanakajon A Penaeidin class 5 (PEN5) has so far only been reported in the Chinese shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis, and the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. The PEN5 homolog from F. chinensis (FenchiPEN5) exhibits antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. Here, we characterized the PEN5 gene from P. monodon (PenmonPEN5) and evaluated its potential involvement in antiviral immunity. The deduced open reading frame of PenmonPEN5 encodes for a predicted 79 amino acid peptide including a 19 amino acid signal peptide. The gene structure of PenmonPEN5 contains two exons interrupted by one intron, whilst the 5' upstream sequence contains a putative TATA box and several GATA, GATA-3, AP-1 and d... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349924 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349925&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21195108%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wu Z, Hu T, Kaiser P In mammals, the CC chemokine receptors 6 and 7 (CCR6 and CCR7) play important roles in controlling the trafficking of dendritic cells (DC). CCR6 is expressed primarily on immature DC in the periphery and plays a role in the recruitment of immature DC to sites of potential antigen entry. On encountering pathogens, DC mature and migrate to secondary lymphoid organs where they present pathogen antigen to T cells to initiate specific adaptive immune responses. Maturation involves down-regulation of CCR6 but up-regulation of CCR7. To investigate the role of these two chemokine receptors in the function of DC in the chicken, a full-length chicken CCR7 (chCCR7) cDNA was cloned. Chicken CCR6 (chCCR6) was already available (Munoz et al., 2009). ChCCR7 shows the typ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349925 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349926&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21187111%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization was used to construct forward and reverse cDNA libraries to identify genes involved in the response of Eisenia fetida after exposure to Escherichia coli O157:H7. We cloned 1428 cDNAs or expressed sequence tags (ESTs), of which 738 were confirmed to be differentially expressed on dot blotting analysis. A total of 394 good-quality ESTs (GenBank dbEST accession numbers HO001170-HO001563) were obtained from the raw clone sequences after cleaning. The genes were associated with metabolism (10%), transport (10%), translation (5%), immunity (2%), and the cytoskeleton (1%). Thirteen candidates were selected to assess expression levels in earthworms exposed to artificially contaminated soil by real-time PCR. The translated amino acid sequences of... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349926 Sat, 25 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349928&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21185856%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we present the molecular cloning of porcine S100A8 (pS100A8) and porcine S100A9 (pS100A9). Both genes comprise 3 exons and 2 introns and are located on pig chromosome 4q21-q23 (closely linked to SW512). Homology comparison to other mammalian species affirmed that critical functional amino acids for post-transcriptional modification, inflammatory regulation, and formation of heterodimeric complexes exist in pS100A8 and pS100A9. Under normal conditions, both genes are preferentially expressed in porcine immune or immune-related organs, e.g., bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes, and lung. Upon stimulation in porcine whole blood cultures with LPS or Poly(I:C), they are dramatically induced. Interestingly, the maximum increase of mRNA levels in blood cultures of Meishan pigs is sign... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349928 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349927&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21185857%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ohtani M, Hikima JI, Kondo H, Hirono I, Jung TS, Aoki T Cytosolic pattern recognition receptors such as retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs) play an important role in sensing viral RNAs. The receptor encoded by melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), an RLR, recognizes viral RNA in the cytoplasm and enhances antiviral response in host cells. The full-length MDA5 gene in Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus was cloned and found to have 11,251 nucleotides. MDA5 transcript abundance was significantly increased in whole kidney infected with viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) as well as whole kidney and peripheral blood leukocytes stimulated with poly I:C in vitro. Hirame natural embryo (HINAE) cells overexpressing MDA5 showed a lower ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349927 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349930&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21184776%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pata S, Yaraksa N, Daduang S, Temsiripong Y, Svasti J, Araki T, Thammasirirak S Four novel antibacterial peptides, Leucrocin I-IV from Siamese crocodile white blood cell extracts were purified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Leucrocins exhibit strong antibacterial activity towards Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella typhi and Vibrio cholerae. The peptides were 7-10 residues in length with different primary structure. The amino acid sequence of Leucrocin I is NGVQPKY with molecular mass around 806.99Da and Leucrocin II is NAGSLLSGWG with molecular mass around 956.3Da. Further, the interaction between peptides and bacterial membranes as part of their killing mechanism was studied by fluorescence and electron microscopy. The outer membrane an... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349930 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349929&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21184777%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roulston C, Smith VJ A population of small, mostly undifferentiated, haemocytes were identified and enriched from the circulation of the spider crab, H. araneus, using a two-step density gradient separation procedure. Typically, these cells are spherical, ca. 8-12μm diameter and have a high nucleus:cytoplasm ratio. Their number in the circulation increases significantly 24h after a state of haemocytopenia has been created by withdrawal of 2mL of haemolymph. The rise in the number of these cells at this time is consistent with a left shift phenomenon. A two-step separation procedure was developed to generate enriched populations of these small cells from the haemolymph and in vitro assays revealed that ca. 47% are BrdU-positive in vitro. By contrast BrdU uptake was not observe... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349929 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349932&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21182859%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sun Y, Wei Z, Hammarstrom L, Zhao Y Immunoglobulin D (IgD) was recently suggested to be an ancient Ig class, as old as IgM, arising approximately 500 million years ago. Its encoding gene has now been identified in nearly all classes of jawed vertebrates (except birds). Variance in the number of CH encoding exons and alternative RNA splicing confers this Ig class a marked structural plasticity, which differs substantially from IgM. Expression of the δ gene can be achieved through co-transcription with the μ gene or by class switching. Although a recent study has suggested that IgD functions as an immunomodulator in immunity and inflammation in humans, its functions are still far from clear. Further studies at the protein levels in additional species may help answer this quest... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349932 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349931&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21182860%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ghosh J, Lun CM, Majeske AJ, Sacchi S, Schrankel CS, Smith LC The arms race between hosts and pathogens (and other non-self) drives the molecular diversification of immune response genes in the host. Over long periods of evolutionary time, many different defense strategies have been employed by a wide variety of invertebrates. We review here penaeidins and crustins in crustaceans, the allorecognition system encoded by fuhc, fester and Uncle fester in a colonial tunicate, Dscam and PGRPs in arthropods, FREPs in snails, VCBPs in protochordates, and the Sp185/333 system in the purple sea urchin. Comparisons among immune systems, including those reviewed here have not identified an immune specific regulatory "genetic toolkit", however, repeatedly identified sequences (or "building... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349931 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4349931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281672&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21168434%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Quiniou SM, Wilson M, Boudinot P Alternate pathways of RNA processing play an important role in the expression of the secreted (S) and membrane (Mb) forms of immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy (H) chain isotypes in all vertebrates. Interestingly, while the differential splicing mechanism and the splice sites that generate the two forms of Ig are conserved in mammals, this conservation is not observed in the different fish species. For example, in mammals, amphibians, and sharks mRNAs encoding Mb IgM are made by splicing of the first transmembrane (TM) encoding exon into a cryptic donor site near the 3' end of the constant (C)μ4 exon. In contrast, teleost fish splice the first TM exon 1 into directly to the 3' splice donor site of the Cμ3 exon and chondrostean and holostean fish exhib... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281672 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281671&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21168435%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we characterize the timeline of intestinal distension in nematodes where ELT-2 and another intestinal GATA transcription factor, ELT-7, are abrogated by RNAi using two different models: colonization and toxin-based infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that both ELT-2 and ELT-7 are important for survival of C. elegans exposed to P. aeruginosa. Intestinal distension is accelerated in elt-2 RNAi nematodes, and is observed in colonization but not toxin-based Pseudomonas infection. Upon onset of intestinal distension, nematodes die within 24hours, regardless of experimental treatment. These data provide new insight into the role of ELT-2 and ELT-7 in protecting C. elegans against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. PMID: 21168435 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (So... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281671 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281673&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21167864%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang S, Clark KD, Strand MR The moth Pseudoplusia includens produces four types of hemocytes named granulocytes, plasmatocytes, spherule cells and oenocytoids. Prior studies established that the main function of plasmatocytes in P. includens is encapsulation of parasitoids and other foreign entitites. P. includens plasmatocytes are also recognized by several monoclonal antibodies that bind unknown antigens. Of particular interest is the antibody 43E9A10 whose binding properties indicate that plasmatocytes consist of two subpopulations: cells that can spread on foreign surfaces and cells that cannot. Here we report 43E9A10 recognizes P23, which is a member of the aegerolysin protein family. Expression analyses confirmed that p23 is specifically expressed in plasmatocytes. Func... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281673 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281674&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21167199%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang M, Yang J, Zhou Z, Qiu L, Wang L, Zhang H, Gao Y, Wang X, Zhang L, Song L As a member of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), the Toll-like receptor (TLR) and its signaling pathway play pivotal roles in recognizing various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and buildup the front-line against invading pathogens. In the present study, the sequence features and mRNA expression profiles of five key genes involved in TLR signal pathway were characterized, and their functions in the immune responses were also investigated in order to validate the TLR signaling pathway and its potential roles in the immune defense of Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri. These five genes, including CfTLR, CfMyD88, CfTRAF6, CfIκB and CfNFκB, exhibited significant similarity with their ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281674 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281678&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21147158%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the cDNA and genomic sequences of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) IRF-7 (SmIRF-7) were cloned and found to encode a putative protein of 439 amino acids. The gene is composed of 10 exons and 9 introns similar to known IRF-7 genes of fish. The SmIRF-7 shows the highest amino acid identity of 49.0-80.3% to fish IRF-7 and possesses a DNA-binding domain (DBD), an IRF association domain (IAD) and a serine-rich domain (SRD) of vertebrate IRF-7. In addition, the tryptophan cluster of SmIRF-7 DBD consists of only four tryptophans, which is a characteristic unique to all fish IRF-7 members. The SmIRF-7 transcripts were expressed constitutively in all analyzed tissues of healthy turbot, with higher levels observed in immune relevant tissues. Gene expressions of SmIRF-7 and Mx were monito... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281678 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281677&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21147159%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Xu TJ, Sun YN, Cheng YZ, Shi G, Wang RX Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has a central role in the adaptive immune system by presenting foreign peptide to the T-cell receptor. MHC gene family contains two main subgroups of immunologically active molecules. In order to study the molecular function and genomic characteristic of class I gene in teleost, the full lengths of MHC class Iα cDNA and genomic sequence were cloned from miiuy croaker (Miichthys miiuy). Seven exons and six introns were identified in miiuy croaker class Iα gene; This genomic structural feature of miiuy croaker is similar to that present in some fishes such as Japanese flounder and Atlantic salmon, but different from that present in some other fishes such as half-smooth tongue sole and channel catfis... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281677 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281676&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21147160%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Whitley DS, Sample RC, Sinning AR, Henegar J, Chinchar VG Viral virulence/immune evasion strategies and host anti-viral responses represent different sides of the continuing struggle between virus and host survival. To identify virus-encoding molecules whose function is to subvert or blunt host immune responses, we have adapted anti-sense approaches to knock down the expression of specific viral gene products. Our intention is to correlate knock down with loss of function and thus infer the role of a given viral gene. As a starting point in this process we have targeted several structural and catalytic genes using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (asMO) and small, interfering RNAs (siRNA). In proof of concept experiments we show the feasibility of this approach and descri... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281676 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281675&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21147161%26dopt%3DAbstract This study suggests that rainbow trout leukocytes respond differently to viral, bacterial and fungal PAMPs, which may reflect activation of specific signaling cascades eventually leading to activation of different immune effector molecules. PMID: 21147161 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281675 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4281675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253520&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21130805%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nupan B, Phongdara A, Saengsakda M, Horng LJ, Lo CF Fortilin plays an important role in anti-apoptotic mechanisms and cell proliferation in many eukaryotic organisms. This work confirmed previous reports that Sf9 can support the replication of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) genomic material by using immunohistochemistry with a specific antibody to detect the immediate early gene 1 (ie1) and by amplification of WSSV DNA and mRNA products. Using this insect-cell model system, we show that overexpression of Pm-fortilin in Sf9 cells inhibited the expression of WSSV early genes and late genes (WSSV-DNA polymerase, VP15 and VP28) but not an immediate early gene ie1. This is the first time that an insect cell line has been used to demonstrate interaction between a shrimp gene and g... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253520 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4253520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222354&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21115038%26dopt%3DAbstract We report the complete amino acid sequence of callinectin, a 32 amino acid, proline-, arginine-rich AMP with four cysteines and having the sequence WNSNRRFRVGRPPVVGRPGCVCFRAPCPCSNY-amide. The primary structure of callinectin is highly similar to arasins, AMPs recently identified in the small spider crab (Hyas araneus). Callinectin exists in three isomers that vary in the functional group on the tryptophan (W) residue. The most prevalent isomer had a hydroxy-N-formylkynurenine group, while the other two isomers had either N-formylkynurenine or hydroxy-tryptophan. Using a sequence highly similar to native callinectin, we chemically synthesized a peptide which we called callinectin-like peptide (CLP). Via immunoelectron microscopy, affinity-purified rabbit antibodies raised to CLP successfull... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222354 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4222354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222356&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21110998%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang Q, Zmasek CM, Cai X, Godzik A Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing proteins play important roles in defense against pathogens in both animals and plants, connecting the immunity signaling pathways via a chain of specific protein-protein interactions. Among them is SARM, the only TIR domain-containing adaptor that can negatively regulate TLR signaling. By extensive phylogenetic analysis, we show here that SARM is closely related to bacterial proteins with TIR domains, suggesting that this family has a different evolutionary history from other animal TIR-containing adaptors, possibly emerging via a lateral gene transfer from bacteria to animals. We also show evidence of several similar, independent transfer events, none of which, however, survived in vertebr... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222356 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4222356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222355&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21110999%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hansen JD, Farrugia TJ, Woodson J, Laing KJ Cell-mediated immunity plays an essential role for the control and eradication of intracellular pathogens. To learn more about the evolutionary origins of the first signal (Signal 1) for T-cell activation, we cloned CD8α from an elasmobranch, Rhinobatos productus. Similar to full-length CD8α cDNAs from other vertebrates, Rhpr-CD8α (1,800bp) encodes a 219 amino acid open reading frame composed of a signal peptide, an extracellular IgSF V domain and a stalk/hinge region followed by a well-conserved transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail. Overall, the mature Rhpr-CD8α protein (201 aa) displays ∼30% amino acid identity with mammalian CD8α including absolute conservation of cysteine residues involved in the IgSf V domain fold an... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222355 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4222355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222357&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21108964%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined the constitutive expression of these transcripts in six tissues (head kidney, blood, brain, gill, pyloric caecum, and spleen) of non-stressed juvenile cod; GAD-1 and GAD-2 transcripts were detected in all six tissues, with the highest expression of both transcripts being in spleen, head kidney, and gill. Transcript expression of GAD-1 and GAD-2 was also examined in immune tissues (spleen and head kidney) following intraperitoneal (IP) injection of formalin-killed, atypical Aeromonas salmonicida (ASAL) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS control). Both transcripts were weakly (less than 4-fold) up-regulated by ASAL in spleen but non-responsive to ASAL in head kidney. Since GAD-1 and GAD-2 transcripts are highly expressed constitutively in immune-relevant tissues (e.g. spleen and h... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222357 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4222357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203401&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21078341%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hikima JI, Jung TS, Aoki T Immunoglobulin (Ig), which exists only in jawed vertebrates, is one of the most important molecules in adaptive immunity. In the last two decades, many teleost Ig genes have been identified by in silico data mining from the enormous gene and EST databases of many fish species. In this review, the organization of Ig gene segments, the expressed Ig isotypes and their transcriptional controls are discussed. The Ig heavy chain (IgH) locus in teleosts encodes the variable (V), the diversity (D), the joining (J) segments and three different isotypic constant (C) regions including Cμ, Cδ, and Cζ/τ genes, and is organized as a "translocon" type like the IgH loci of higher vertebrates. In contrast, the Ig light (L) chain locus is arranged in a "multiclust... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203401 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4203401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203400&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21078342%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang D, Fang L, Zhao F, Luo R, Chen H, Xiao S Human interleukin-29 (IL-29) is a recently discovered cytokine displaying antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of viruses, designated as interferon (IFN)-λ1. We here report the molecular cloning, expression and antiviral activity of porcine IL-29 (poIL-29). The full-length poIL-29 cDNA sequence encoded 191 amino acids with a 19 amino acid signal peptide. Sequence alignments showed that poIL-29 had amino acid sequence similarity to wolf (76%), bear (75%), horse (75%), orangutan (73%), human (72%), cat (72%) and dog (70%) IL-29. The poIL-29 without signal anchor sequence was efficiently expressed as a 6×HIS fusion protein in Escherichia coli and the antiviral activity of the purified recombinant protein was 1.8×10(3)U/mg pr... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203400 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4203400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203397&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21095203%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ciraci C, Lamont SJ Chickens possess toll-like receptor (TLR15), a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) absent in mammals. We characterized the regulation and mechanism of CpG responsiveness via TLRs in chicken macrophage HD11 cells. TLR15 was significantly upregulated after induction with B- and C- type CpG oligonucleotides (ODN), tripalmitoylated lipopeptide (PAM3CSK4), Escherichia coli- and Salmonella enteritidis-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In response to CpG-ODN inhibitor, TLR15 and IL1B were downregulated, but TLR21 was upregulated. IL1B was upregulated with CpG-ODN and downregulated after inhibitor treatment. The results suggest that responsiveness to different types of CpG-ODN in chicken macrophages requires multiple receptors, each with unique variation in expressi... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203397 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4203397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203396&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21095204%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, a turtle SAA homologue was identified and described in reptiles. The full-length cDNA of turtle SAA was 554bp and contained a 381bp open reading frame (ORF) coding for a protein of 127 aa. Similar to other known SAA genes, the turtle SAA gene contained three exons and two introns. The promoter region of turtle SAA gene contained the consensus binding sites for nuclear factor (NF)-κB and c-Rel. The turtle SAA amino acid sequence shared the highest identity to avian SAA sequences. Meantime, we present the first systematic study with expression levels of five genes encoding APPs in immune response caused by Aeromonas hydrophila infection. After infection, turtle SAA mRNA was induced in liver at 8h, then increased more than 1200-fold at 2 d; in spleen and kidney, the SAA mRNAs ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203396 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4203396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203399&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21093478%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu H, Peatman E, Wang W, Abernathy J, Liu S, Kucuktas H, Lu J, Xu DH, Klesius P, Waldbieser G, Liu Z PMID: 21093478 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Developmental and Comparative Immunology) Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203399 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4203399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203398&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21093479%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Oehlers SH, Flores MV, Chen T, Hall CJ, Crosier KE, Crosier PS The zebrafish is increasingly being utilized to study aspects of the conserved innate intestinal immunity of vertebrates. In mammals, some antimicrobial proteins are synthesised by specialised immune cells that appear to have no equivalent in zebrafish. To delineate foci of antimicrobial protein production along the zebrafish intestine, we examined the antero-posterior expression gradients of antimicrobial genes. Quantitative PCR revealed distinct expression gradient profiles, with the mid-intestine exhibiting elevated expression of several genes such as dual oxidase and the defensin beta-like and peptidoglycan recognition protein families. This region also presented with the most numbers of leukocytes and endocyti... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203398 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4203398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4170235&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21075135%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Esfahani SS, Engström Y Innate immunity in Drosophila involves the inducible expression and synthesis of antimicrobial peptides. We have previously shown that not only Drosophila larvae and adults, but also embryos, are capable of mounting an immune response after injection of bacterial substances. To simplify genetic dissection of the signaling pathways involved in immune-gene regulation we developed a procedure for permeabilization of large number of embryos and subsequent infiltration with bacterial fragments. This approach, which promoted expression of CecropinA1- and Diptericin -driven β-gal expression in the epidermis of more than 90% of the treated embryos, will enable analysis of mutants that are embryonic lethal. Thus, genes that are involved in essential pleiotroph... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4170235 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4170235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4170234&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21075136%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kim JW, Kwon MG, Park MA, Hwang JY, Baeck GW, Park CI Members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF receptor (TNFR) superfamilies play crucial roles in both innate and adaptive immunity. In the present study, we isolated the full-length cDNA for black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) TNFR (BrTNFR). This cDNA is 2405bp in length and contains a 939-bp open reading frame, a 27-bp 5' untranslated region, and a 1439-bp 3' untranslated region including a polyadenylation signal (AATAAA) and polyadenylation site. The 313-amino-acid predicted BrTNFR sequence is homologous to other TNFR sequences, contains four cysteine-rich domains and a death-effector domain (DED), and lacks a transmembrane region. Expression of BrTNFR mRNA was detected in eight different tissues from healthy black... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4170234 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4170234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4170233&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21075137%26dopt%3DAbstract PHYLOGENETIC AND DEVELOPMENTAL STUDY OF CD4; CD8 α AND β T CELL CO-RECEPTOR HOMOLOGS IN TWO AMPHIBIAN SPECIES; XENOPUS TROPICALIS AND XENOPUS LAEVIS. Dev Comp Immunol. 2010 Nov 11; Authors: Chida AS, Goyos A, Robert J CD4 and CD8 co-receptors play critical roles in T cell development and activation by interacting both with T cell receptors and MHC molecules. Although homologs of these genes have been identified in many jawed vertebrates, there are still unresolved gaps concerning their evolution and specialization in MHC interaction and T cell function. Using experimental and computational procedures we identified CD4, CD8α and CD8β gene homologs both in Xenopus tropicalis, whose full genome has been sequenced, and its sister species X. laevis. Multiple alignments of deduce... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4170233 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4170233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4170232&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21075138%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Xiong XP, Dong CF, Xu X, Weng SP, Liu ZY, He JG Iridovirus infections remain a severe problem in aquaculture industries worldwide. Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), the type species of the genus Megalocytivirus in the family Iridoviridae, has caused significant economic losses among freshwater fish in different Asian countries. To investigate the molecular mechanism of iridoviral pathogenesis, we analyzed the differential proteome from the spleen of ISKNV-infected zebrafish through two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). Mass spectrometry revealed 35 altered cellular protein spots, including 15 upregulated proteins and 20 downregulated proteins at five days post-infection. The altered host proteins were classified into 13 categories based on their biolog... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4170232 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4170232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4170231&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21075139%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Thomas P, Kenny N, Eyles D, Moreira LA, O'Neill SL, Asgari S Introduction of the life-shortening strain of Wolbachia pipientis, wMelPop, into the key dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, and the anti-pathogen effects in Wolbachia-infected hosts highlights the need for more research into its interactions with its original host, Drosophila melanogaster, and the novel mosquito host. The visual difference in darkness between the eggs of wMelPop Wolbachia-infected and uninfected mosquito hosts after egg deposition led to further investigation into melanization levels of the insects. Both D. melanogaster and Ae. aegypti infected with wMelPop showed increased levels of melanization, especially in females. This result was also seen in D. melanogaster and Drosophila simulans infected with the... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4170231 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4170231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4170237&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21073891%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, a novel galectin-1 (designated OfGLec-1) gene was identified from rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, cDNA library. The complete cDNA sequence of the OfGLec-1 gene is 993 base pairs in length, and encodes 135 amino acids. OfGLec-1 shares a highly conserved carbohydrate recognition domain with galectin-1 from other fishes. The mRNA expressions of OfGLec-1 in healthy and bacterial and viral challenged rock breams were examined using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). OfGLec-1 is highly expressed in head kidney and other tissues of the rock bream. The expression is strongly up-regulated after bacterial and viral challenge. To understand its biological activity, the recombinant OfGLec-1 gene was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Th... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4170237 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4170237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4170236&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21073892%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Morga B, Arzul I, Faury N, Segarra A, Chollet B, Renault T Bonamiosis due to the parasite Bonamia ostreae is a disease affecting the flat oyster Ostrea edulis. Bonamia ostreae is a protozoan, affiliated to the order of haplosporidia and to the cercozoan phylum. This parasite is mainly intracellular, infecting haemocytes, cells notably involved in oyster defence mechanisms. Suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) was carried out in order to identify oyster genes differentially expressed during an infection of haemocytes with B. ostreae. Forward and reverse banks allowed obtaining 1104 and 1344 clones respectively, among which 391 and 480 clones showed a differential expression between both tested conditions (haemocytes alone versus haemocytes in contact with parasites). EST... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4170236 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4170236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4155645&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21055416%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Danilova N, Saunders HL, Ellestad KK, Magor BG Many fish have, in addition to IgM and IgD, a third isotype called IgZ or IgT. The ζ-chain locus is embedded among the Ig heavy chain V-, D- and J-elements in a manner reminiscent of the TcR δ/α locus. Isotype selection thus occurs during VDJ recombination, a process that is facilitated by intralocus transcription. Using in silico analyses and enhancer reporter vectors we identified 3 new regions within the zebrafish IgH locus through which transcription can be activated in catfish B-cell lines. Two of these, termed Eζi (Jζ to Cζ1 intronic) and Eζ3' regions flank the ζ-chain constant domain exons. A third region, Eδ3', resides downstream of the δ-chain exons. All regions contain predicted binding sites for transcription ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4155645 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4155645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4140160&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21035505%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hu YL, Zhu LY, Xiang LX, Shao JZ In present study, we identified a novel membrane immunoglobulin M isotype from zebrafish (Danio rerio), which was designated as mIgM-2, adding a new member to the Immunoglobulin family in teleost fish. The full length of cloned mIgM-2 cDNA was 611bp, encoding 150 amino acids. The putative mIgM-2 protein sequence consists of one constant region and a trans-membrane region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that mIgM-2 grouped with the known zebrafish IgM sequences. The mIgM-2 mRNA was widely expressed in immune-related tissues including heart, spleen, liver, intestine, kidney, gill, brain, skin and muscle. In vivo stimulation with LPS significantly up-regulates the expression of mIgM-2. Our results will add new insight into the immunoglobulin class d... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4140160 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4140160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4140162&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21034769%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Romero A, Dios S, Poisa-Beiro L, Costa MD, Posada D, Figueras A, Novoa B In this paper, we describe sequences of fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs) in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (MuFREPs) with the fibrinogen domain probably involved in the antigen recognition, but without the additional collagen-like domain of ficolins, molecules responsible for complement activation by the lectin pathway. Although they do not seem to be true or primive ficolins since the phylogenetic analysis are not conclusive enough, their expression is increased after bacterial infection or PAMPs treatment and they present opsonic activities similar to mammalian ficolins. The most remarkable aspect of these sequences was the existence of a very diverse set of FREP sequences among a... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4140162 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4140162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4140161&cid=s_35509_3_f&fid=35509&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21034770%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we cloned the nucleotide sequence of the 5'-flanking region of the porcine RANTES (poRANTES) gene and characterized the regulatory elements that activate transcription. Analyses of a series of 5' deletion constructs demonstrated that a 266bp region (-220/+46) that spanned the potential transcription start site of the poRANTES gene was sufficient to activate transcription in PK-15 cells. Furthermore, our results indicated that dsDNA/dsRNA significantly induced poRANTES promoter activity and expression of mRNA levels in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Promoter deletions and mutagenesis experiments indicated that an interferon-stimulated responsive element (ISRE) was critical for dsDNA/dsRNA-induced poRANTES transcription. In addition, porcine interferon regulatory factor 3 ... Developmental and Comparative Immunology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4140161 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4140161