Description of a fugu CXC chemokine and two CXC receptor genes, and characterization of the effects of different stimulators on their expression

The primary structures of a CXC chemokine (CXCL8) and two CXC receptors (CXCR) have been characterized in fugu, Takifugu rubripes. Unlike mammalian and avian species, CXCL8 of teleosts including fugu lacks the ELR motif that appears to be important in ligand/receptor interactions on neutrophils. Genomic organization shows that fugu CXCL8 gene consists of four exons and three introns. As in other vertebrates, two CXCR genes isolated from fugu encode proteins CXCR1 and CXCR2 that possess characteristic seven transmembrane domains. Each receptor consists of two exons separated by an intron. Synteny analysis indicates that these two CXCRs were derived from whole genome duplication in teleosts, differing from mammalian CXCR1 and CXCR2. All of these genes are primarily expressed in the lymphoid tissues. Immune stimulation with PHA showed that the expression of both CXCL8 and CXCRs in PBL are upregulated even after only a short time period, but downregulated by LPS stimulation, implying that these genes are involved in the regulation of the immune response in fugu.