Molecular and expression analysis of the Allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1) in the coelomocytes of the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2017 Dec:71:136-143. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.09.078. Epub 2017 Oct 3.

Abstract

Allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1) is a highly conserved gene involved in inflammation, cloned and characterized in several evolutionary distant animal species. Here, we report the molecular identification, characterization and expression of AIF-1 from the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. In this species, AIF-1 encodes a predicted 151 amino acid protein with high similarity to vertebrate AIF-1 proteins. Immunocytochemical analyses on coelomocytes reveal localization of the AIF-1 protein in amoebocytes (perinuclear cytoplasmic zone) and red sphaerulocytes (inside granules), but not in vibratile cells and colorless sphaerula cells. The significant increase of AIF-1 expression (mRNA and protein) found in the coelomocytes of the sea urchin after Gram + bacterial challenge suggests the involvement of AIF-1 in the inflammatory response. Our analysis on P. lividus AIF-1 contributes to elucidate AIF-1 function along the evolutionary scale and consolidate the key evolutionary position of echinoderms throughout metazoans with respect to the common immune paths.

Keywords: Allograft inflammatory factor 1; Amoebocytes; Bacterial challenge; Coelomocytes; Paracentrotus lividus; Red cells.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / immunology*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology*
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics*
  • Paracentrotus / genetics*
  • Paracentrotus / immunology*
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins