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Molecular cloning of two molluscan caspases and gene functional analysis during Crassostrea angulata (Fujian oyster) larval metamorphosis

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Abstract

Caspases have been demonstrated to possess important functions in apoptosis and immune system in vertebrate. But there is less information reported on the oyster larval development. In the present work, two full-length molluscan caspase genes, named Cacaspase-2 and Cacaspase-3, were characterized for the first time from Fujian oyster, Crassostrea angulata. Which respectively encode two predicted proteins both containing two caspase domains of p20 and p10 including the cysteine active site pentapeptide “QACRG” and the histidine active site signature. Otherwise Cacaspase-2 also contains a caspase recruitment domain. Homology and phylogenetic analysis showed that Cacaspase-2 shared high similarity with initiator caspase-2 groups, but Cacaspase-3 clustered together with executioner caspase-3 groups. Cacaspase-2 and Cacaspase-3 mRNA were both highly expressed in gills and labial palp and were significantly expressed highly in larvae during settlement and metamorphosis. Through the whole mount in situ hybridization, the location of Cacaspase-2 is in the foot of the oyster larvae and the location of Cacaspase-3 is in both the foot and velum tissues. These results implied that Cacaspase-2 and Cacaspase-3 genes play a key role in the loss of foot and Cacaspase-3 gene has an important function in the loss of velum during larvae metamorphosis in C. angulata.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by The National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2010CB126403), NSFC (No. 41176113), Marine nonprofit industry research special funds (No. 201305016) and the Earmarked Fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System (No. nycytx-47). We thank EngEdit for its linguistic assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.

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All the authors in this manuscript have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, 361005, People’s Republic of China

    Bingye Yang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People’s Republic of China

    Bingye Yang, Fei Pu & Caihuan Ke

  3. College of Oceanography and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China

    Bingye Yang, Fei Pu, Weiwei You & Caihuan Ke

  4. College of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People’s Republic of China

    Lingling Li & Heqing Huang

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  1. Bingye Yang
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Correspondence to Caihuan Ke.

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Yang, B., Li, L., Pu, F. et al. Molecular cloning of two molluscan caspases and gene functional analysis during Crassostrea angulata (Fujian oyster) larval metamorphosis. Mol Biol Rep 42, 963–975 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-014-3833-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-014-3833-y

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