Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2432227 | Fish & Shellfish Immunology | 2011 | 7 Pages |
Autophagy is an important cellular response to starvation and stress, and plays critical roles in embryogenesis, development, cell death, cancer, and immunity. Beclin-1 is one of the central regulators of autophagy in mammals. In the present study, we isolated a PoBeclin-1 cDNA from the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) by screening a flounder gill cDNA library and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The PoBeclin-1 cDNA we isolated encodes a 447-amino acid polypeptide containing a conserved Bcl-2-binding domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of PoBeclin-1 showed high degrees of sequence identity (80.5–95.3%) with Beclin-1 from human, frog, mouse, zebrafish, and pufferfish. PoBeclin-1 transcripts were detected from 1 day post-hatching and were found to be ubiquitously expressed in the healthy flounder. Expression of PoBeclin-1 mRNA was increased in the kidney and spleen of flounders challenged with viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). When infected with VHSV, PoBeclin-1-overexpressing HINAE cells had low level (about 26%) of VHSV G transcripts compared to control cells. Taken together, these results suggest that PoBeclin-1 may play a role in the innate immune response to viral infection in the flounder.
► PoBeclin-1 cDNA encodes a 447-aa polypeptide containing a conserved BH3 domain. ► Expression of PoBeclin-1 mRNA was increased in flounders challenged with VHSV. ► Overexpression of PoBeclin-1 decreased VHSV-G mRNA levels. ► PoBeclin-1 may play a role in the innate immunity to VHSV infection.