The freshwater gastropod Pomacea canaliculata has recently been included among emerging pests in the EU. Hence, its immune system may be a promising target for pest control strategies. By analyzing a set of P. canaliculata transcriptomes, we have discovered an Astakine-1-like molecule (Pc-Astakine) in this organism. Astakine was first isolated as a hematopoietic cytokine in the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus (Pl-Astakine-1), and later found in arthropods and the bivalve Crassostrea gigas. Bioinformatic analyses show that Pc-Astakine is a 121 aa protein with a conserved distribution pattern of cysteines retrievable in both Pl-Astakine-1 and the vertebrate Prokineticin protein family. Pc-astakine is expressed at low levels in circulating hemocytes, but markedly in hemocyte reservoirs (e.g., ampulla) and hematopoietic tissue (pericardial fluid) suggesting a conserved role in hematopoiesis. We tested this potential role of Pc-Astakine in two ways. First, we measured RNA levels of this gene in immune-related tissues 24 h after injection of 50 μg of Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide (055:B5) (LPS). We observed a sharp decrease of Pc-astakine mRNA in all the analyzed organs, with Pc-astakine mRNA levels almost undetectable in anterior kidney (a hemocyte reservoir) when compared to sham-injected controls. Second, we defined the profile of Pc-astakine expression after a series of 4 hemolymph withdrawals performed within 72 h. As with the LPS-treatment, a general decrease of mRNA levels was observed, with the largest decrease observed in hematopoietic tissue and circulating hemocytes (reduced to 20% of the control). Altogether, we hypothesize that the decrease of Pc-astakine mRNA after both LPS injection and hemolymph withdrawal may be due to an increased rate of translation, rather than a reduction of gene expression. This is in part supported by similar observations in the oyster C. gigas in which massive translation of Cg-astakine is observed as a consequence of environment stress, including immune stimuli, and in P. leniusculus in which increased levels of Astakine in the plasma of LPS-injected animals have been related to an increased translational rate. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an astakine-like molecule in gastropods and our data indicate a potential involvement of Pc-Astakine in both the immune response and hematopoiesis of the molluscan pest P. canaliculata.

. Pc-astakine mRNA levels decrease after both LPS injection and hemolymph withdrawals in the gastropod pest Pomacea canaliculata / Accorsi, Alice; Gotting, Karen; Ross, Eric; Nasi, Milena; Ottaviani, Enzo; Sánchez Alvarado, Alejandro; Malagoli, Davide. - In: FISH AND SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY. - ISSN 1050-4648. - STAMPA. - 53:(2016), pp. 91-91. (Intervento presentato al convegno 2nd International Conference on Fish and Shellfish Immunology tenutosi a Portland (ME, USA) nel 26-30 Giugno 2016).

. Pc-astakine mRNA levels decrease after both LPS injection and hemolymph withdrawals in the gastropod pest Pomacea canaliculata.

NASI, Milena;OTTAVIANI, Enzo;MALAGOLI, Davide
2016

Abstract

The freshwater gastropod Pomacea canaliculata has recently been included among emerging pests in the EU. Hence, its immune system may be a promising target for pest control strategies. By analyzing a set of P. canaliculata transcriptomes, we have discovered an Astakine-1-like molecule (Pc-Astakine) in this organism. Astakine was first isolated as a hematopoietic cytokine in the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus (Pl-Astakine-1), and later found in arthropods and the bivalve Crassostrea gigas. Bioinformatic analyses show that Pc-Astakine is a 121 aa protein with a conserved distribution pattern of cysteines retrievable in both Pl-Astakine-1 and the vertebrate Prokineticin protein family. Pc-astakine is expressed at low levels in circulating hemocytes, but markedly in hemocyte reservoirs (e.g., ampulla) and hematopoietic tissue (pericardial fluid) suggesting a conserved role in hematopoiesis. We tested this potential role of Pc-Astakine in two ways. First, we measured RNA levels of this gene in immune-related tissues 24 h after injection of 50 μg of Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide (055:B5) (LPS). We observed a sharp decrease of Pc-astakine mRNA in all the analyzed organs, with Pc-astakine mRNA levels almost undetectable in anterior kidney (a hemocyte reservoir) when compared to sham-injected controls. Second, we defined the profile of Pc-astakine expression after a series of 4 hemolymph withdrawals performed within 72 h. As with the LPS-treatment, a general decrease of mRNA levels was observed, with the largest decrease observed in hematopoietic tissue and circulating hemocytes (reduced to 20% of the control). Altogether, we hypothesize that the decrease of Pc-astakine mRNA after both LPS injection and hemolymph withdrawal may be due to an increased rate of translation, rather than a reduction of gene expression. This is in part supported by similar observations in the oyster C. gigas in which massive translation of Cg-astakine is observed as a consequence of environment stress, including immune stimuli, and in P. leniusculus in which increased levels of Astakine in the plasma of LPS-injected animals have been related to an increased translational rate. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an astakine-like molecule in gastropods and our data indicate a potential involvement of Pc-Astakine in both the immune response and hematopoiesis of the molluscan pest P. canaliculata.
2016
53
91
91
Accorsi, Alice; Gotting, Karen; Ross, Eric; Nasi, Milena; Ottaviani, Enzo; Sánchez Alvarado, Alejandro; Malagoli, Davide
. Pc-astakine mRNA levels decrease after both LPS injection and hemolymph withdrawals in the gastropod pest Pomacea canaliculata / Accorsi, Alice; Gotting, Karen; Ross, Eric; Nasi, Milena; Ottaviani, Enzo; Sánchez Alvarado, Alejandro; Malagoli, Davide. - In: FISH AND SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY. - ISSN 1050-4648. - STAMPA. - 53:(2016), pp. 91-91. (Intervento presentato al convegno 2nd International Conference on Fish and Shellfish Immunology tenutosi a Portland (ME, USA) nel 26-30 Giugno 2016).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/1114348
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