Expression patterns of alpha-2 macroglobulin reveal potential immune functions in brood pouch of the lined seahorse Hippocampus erectus
Expression patterns of alpha-2 macroglobulin reveal potential immune functions in brood pouch of the lined seahorse Hippocampus erectus
复制标题
α2巨球蛋白的表达模式揭示了海马海马育儿袋中潜在的免疫功能
DOI：
10.1016/j.aquaculture.2020.736064
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发表时间：
2021-02-25
期刊：
影响因子：
4.5
通讯作者：
Lin，Qiang
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Wu，Yongli;Liu，Yali;Lin，Qiang
海马（海马科）是卵胎生鱼类，其胚胎可以通过雄性的育儿袋获得父系的免疫保护，育儿袋是怀孕的专门器官。先前的研究表明，海马具有独特的免疫系统，α -2巨球蛋白（α2M）可能与雄性怀孕有关。为了确定α2M在育儿袋免疫系统中的意义，我们首先研究了α2M基因在有棱海马（Hippocampus erectus）中的表达特征。在本研究中，α2M表现出广泛的表达模式，在肝脏和育儿袋中表达量最高。有趣的是，在6个月的海马培养过程中，α2M在肝脏中的表达水平在育儿袋形成期间（第4、5个月）明显下降，但在育儿袋完全发育期间（第6个月）恢复，育儿袋中也出现了类似的表达。这表明，海马可能能够在新器官发育时调节其免疫反应。进一步研究了注射脂多糖和多肌苷-多胞酸对育儿袋α2M免疫调节的作用。结果表明，攻毒实验后，假胎盘内α2M表达上调，其他重要免疫因子如toll样受体（TLRs）、肿瘤坏死因子- α (TNFα)、白细胞介素-6 （IL-6）和干扰素- γ (IFNγ)表达上调。综上所述，α2M在育儿袋免疫保护中发挥重要作用，为海马雄性妊娠调节的研究提供了新的思路。
Seahorses (family Syngnathidae) are ovoviviparous fish whose embryos can obtain paternal immunoprotection through the male's brood pouch, which is a specialized organ for pregnancy. Previous studies have revealed that seahorses have a unique immune system and alpha-2 macroglobulin (α2M) may be involved in male pregnancy. To ascertain the significance of α2M in the immune system of the brood pouch, the characteristics of theα2Mgene were first investigated in the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus). In this study, α2M showed a broad expression pattern, with the highest expression in the liver and brood pouch. Interestingly, during the six-month seahorse culture, expression level of α2M in the liver was particularly decreased during brood pouch formation (fourth and fifth months), but was restored the complete development of this brood pouch (sixth months), and a similar expression occurred in the brood pouch. This suggests that the seahorse might be able to regulate its immune response while a new organ develops. Further investigation also examined the immune regulation of α2M in brood pouches by injecting lipopolysaccharide and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. The results showed that, after the challenge experiment, α2M expression in the inner pseudoplacenta was upregulated, along with other important immune factors, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon-gamma (IFNγ). Taken together, our results reveal that α2M plays an important role in immunoprotection of the brood pouch, and may provide new insights into studies of male pregnancy regulation in seahorses.