A C-type lectin (MrLec) with high expression in intestine is involved in innate immune response of Macrobrachium rosenbergii

C-type lectins (CTLs) are pattern-recognition proteins that play an important role in innate immunity of vertebrates and invertebrates. In this study, a lectin cDNA named MrLec was cloned and characterized from giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachiun rosenbergii). The full-length cDNA of MrLec was 1431 bp, which contained an open reading frame of 1041 bp that encoded a protein with 346 amino acids. MrLec was found to contain a typical signal peptide of 18 amino acids and a single carbohydrate-recognition domain with 121 amino acids. The phylogenetic analysis showed that MrLec was grouped with vertebrates and had 57% identity with C-type lectin 3 from Marsupenaeus japonicas. Tissue expression analysis showed that MrLec was ubiquitously distributed at a high level in the intestine, with lower expression levels in the hemocytes, heart, hepatopancreas, gill and stomach. Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection induced the upregulation of MrLec in the gills and intestine. For the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) challenge, MrLec in gills was upregulated at 24, 36 and 48 h. In intestine, MrLec also went up at 36 and 48 h WSSV challenge. Recombinant MrLec can agglutinate (Ca2+-dependent) and bind both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. rMrLec could attach to lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicated possible MrLec involvement in the immune response of giant freshwater prawns.