Identification of thioredoxin domain-containing protein 17 from big-belly seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis: Molecular insights, immune responses, and functional characterization

Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2019 Mar:86:301-310. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.11.040. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Abstract

Thioredoxin domain-containing protein 17 (TXNDC17) is a small protein (∼14 kDa) involved in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis via a thiol-disulfide reductase activity. In this study, TXNDC17 was identified and characterized from Hippocampus abdominalis. The open reading frame (ORF) consisted of 369 bp and 123 amino acids. Similar to the other thioredoxins, TXNDC17 contained a conserved WCXXC functional motif. The highest spatial mRNA expressions of HaTXNDC17 were observed in the muscle, brain, and intestine. Interestingly, the mRNA expression of HaTXNDC17 in blood showed significant upregulation at 48 h against all the pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and bacteria. Further, HaTXNDC17 transcripts in the trunk kidney were significantly upregulated at 24-48 h by bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharides (LPS), viral mimic polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), and gram-negative bacteria (Edwardsiella tarda). The DPPH assay showed that the radical scavenging activity varies in a concentration-dependent manner. The insulin reduction assay demonstrated a significant logarithmic relationship with the concentration of rHaTXNDC17. Moreover, FHM cells treated with recombinant HaTXNDC17 significantly enhanced cellular viability under oxidative stress. Together, these results show that HaTXNDC17 function is important for maintaining cellular redox homeostasis and that it is also involved in the immune mechanism in seahorses.

Keywords: Antioxidant protein; Hippocampus abdominalis; Redox balance; Temporal expression analysis; Thioredoxin domain-containing protein 17.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Edwardsiella tarda / physiology
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections
  • Fish Diseases / immunology
  • Fish Proteins / chemistry
  • Fish Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules
  • Poly I-C / pharmacology
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Smegmamorpha / genetics*
  • Smegmamorpha / immunology*
  • Thioredoxins / chemistry
  • Thioredoxins / genetics*
  • Thioredoxins / immunology*
  • Thioredoxins / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Fish Proteins
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules
  • Thioredoxins
  • Poly I-C