Siganus oramin recombinant L-amino acid oxidase is lethal to Cryptocaryon irritans

• A recombinant SR-LAAO was expressed on a large scale in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami™.(DE3)pLysS cells.
• rSR-LAAO had a significantly lethal effect on Cryptocaryon irritans.
• The swelling of the C. irritans macronucleus induced the cell membrane rupture and efflux of the cytoplasm.

A novel antimicrobial and antiparasitic protein (APP/SR-LAAO) isolated from serum of the rabbitfish (Siganus oramin) was confirmed to be lethal to Cryptocaryon irritans, an important marine parasitic ciliate that causes marine white spot disease in a variety of wild and cultured fish. In this study, a recombinant SR-LAAO (rSR-LAAO) was expressed on a large scale in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami™(DE3)pLysS cells. rSR-LAAO was expressed as an inactive form in the inclusion bodies. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that after purification, refolding and ultrafiltration, rSR-LAAO had a significantly cytotoxic effect on C. irritans theronts. Using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, we found that theronts rapidly became weakly motile, cilia became detached, cells became rounded, membranes eventually lysed in different cell positions and cytoplasmic contents leaked out of the cell. These results suggested the recombinant SR-LAAO was significantly lethal to C. irritans and the death process of the parasite incubated with rSR-LAAO was remarkably similar compared to the SR-LAAO group as reported earlier.