Molecular cloning and characterisation of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) caspase-3 gene

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2007

Authors

Reis, MIR (Author) Other; Nascimento, DS (Author) Other; do Vale, A (Author) Other; Silva, MT (Author) Other; dos Santos, NMS (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Molecular Immunology

Vol. 44

Pages: 774-783

ISSN: 0161-5890

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 47 Citations

Scopus - 59 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-C3R

DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2006.04.028

Abstract (EN): Caspase-3 is one of the major caspases operating in apoptosis, cleaving and inactivating a number of molecules and largely contributing to the apoptotic phenotype and the dismantling of the apoptoting cell. The opening reading frame of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) caspase-3 has 281 amino acids. The complete sequence of caspase-3 shows a very close homology to the correspondent sequence from other vertebrates, in particularly with that of Takifugu rubripes and Oryzias latipes, with 87.7 and 87.9% of similarity, respectively. Furthermore, the sea bass caspase-3 sequence retains the motifs that are functionally important, such as the pentapeptide active-site motif (QACRG) and the putative cleavage sites at the aspartic acids. In the sea bass genome, the caspase-3 gene exists as a single copy gene and is organised in six exons and five introns. A very low expression of caspase-3 was detected by RT-PCR in various organs of non-stimulated sea bass, with slightly higher levels in thymus and heart and was increased in head kidneys of Photobacterium damselae ssp. piscicida infected sea bass. This increased expression was accompanied by the occurrence of high numbers of apoptoting cells with activated caspase-3.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10