Identification of an LPS-Induced Chemo-Attractive Peptide from Ciona robusta

Abstract

Background: Previously published work has demonstrated that the LPS injection of Ciona robusta leads to the overexpression of a truncated form of an immune-related mRNA (C8short) by means of Ciona robusta (CR) alternative polyadenylation (APA) (CR-APA). Methods: The 3D structure of the C8short-derived Ciona robusta chemo-attractive peptide (CrCP) was evaluated by homology modeling. The biological activity of the CrCP was studied in vitro using a primary human dermal cell line (HuDe). Real-Time PCR was used to investigate the expression levels of genes involved in cell motility. NF-κB signaling was studied by western blotting. Results: In silico modeling showed that CrCP displayed structural characteristics already reported for a short domain of the vertebrate CRK gene, suggesting its possible involvement in cell migration mechanisms. In vitro assays demonstrated that CrCP was capable of inducing the motility of HuDe cells in both wound healing and chemo-attractive experiments. qPCR demonstrated the capability of CrCP to modulate the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) and E-cadherin genes. Finally, western blot analysis demonstrated that treatment with CrCP induced activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our results describe the characterization of the 3D structure and chemo-attractive activity of an LPS-induced CrCP peptide from Ciona robusta.

A Novel Hemocyte-Derived Peptide and Its Possible Roles in Immune Response of Ciona intestinalis Type A

“…In contrast, in invertebrates, various innate immune molecules have evolved, such as lectins [56], AMPs [57], and cytokines [58]. Additionally, Ciona has developed a variety of species-specific peptides, including CrCP [36,37], PEP51 [33], and CiEMa. As observed in CiEMa, a signaling molecule produced by atypical processing at Trp or Asp may contribute to the diversification of Most vertebrates have acquired sophisticated adaptive immune systems, employing MHCs, TCRs, and Igs.…”

“…In Ciona hemocytes, several AMPs, including CrMAM-A, CrPAP-A, and others, have been reported [27,34,35]. Furthermore, a 73-amino-acid Ciona chemo-attractive peptide (CrCP) derived from an alternative transcript was upregulated in hemocytes by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation [36,37]. However, the endogenous roles of many other Ciona-specific hemocyte peptides remain largely unknown.…”