Berry College, Department of Biology, 2277 Martha Berry Highway NW, Mt. Berry, GA, 30149, USA.
Berry College, Department of Biology, 2277 Martha Berry Highway NW, Mt. Berry, GA, 30149, USA; University of Alabama, Department of Biological Sciences, Science and Engineering Complex, 1325 Hackberry Ln, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35401, USA.
Dev Comp Immunol. 2019 Dec;101:103459. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103459. Epub 2019 Aug 1.
Coral disease is a major threat to reef ecosystems and therefore, understanding the cellular pathways underlying disease progression and resistance is critical to mitigating future outbreaks. This study focused on tyrosinase-like proteins in cnidarians, which contribute to melanin synthesis, an invertebrate innate immune defense. Specifically, characterization and phylogenetic analysis of cnidarian tyrosinases were performed, and their role in symbiosis and a "mystery disease" in the anemone Exaiptasia pallida was investigated using qPCR. The results reveal a diversity of tyrosinase-like proteins in cnidarians that separate into two major clades on a phylogenetic tree, suggesting functional divergence. Two E. pallida sequences, Ep_Tyr1 and Ep_Tyr2, were further investigated, and qPCR results revealed no gene expression differences as a function of symbiotic state, but decreased expression in late disease stages. Overall this work provides evidence for the participation of tyrosinases in the cnidarian immune response.
珊瑚疾病是珊瑚礁生态系统的主要威胁，因此，了解疾病进展和抗性的细胞途径对于减轻未来的爆发至关重要。本研究集中于刺胞动物中的酪氨酸酶样蛋白，这些蛋白有助于黑色素合成，这是一种无脊椎动物先天免疫防御。具体来说，对刺胞动物的酪氨酸酶进行了特征描述和系统发育分析，并使用 qPCR 研究了它们在共生和海葵 Exaiptasia pallida 中的“神秘疾病”中的作用。结果表明，刺胞动物中的酪氨酸酶样蛋白具有多样性，在系统发育树上分为两个主要分支，表明功能上的分化。进一步研究了两个 E. pallida 序列 Ep_Tyr1 和 Ep_Tyr2，qPCR 结果显示，基因表达没有随共生状态的变化而变化，但在疾病后期表达下降。总的来说，这项工作为酪氨酸酶参与刺胞动物免疫反应提供了证据。
