Evidence for a novel biological role for the multifunctional β-1,3-glucan binding protein in shrimp

• Published in: Molecular immunology 2012-07, Vol.51 (3-4), p.363-367
• Main Authors: Goncalves, Priscila, Vernal, Javier, Rosa, Rafael Diego, Yepiz-Plascencia, Gloria, de Souza, Claudia Regina Batista, Barracco, Margherita Anna, Perazzolo, Luciane Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agglutination - genetics; Agglutination - physiology; Animals; beta-Glucans - metabolism; Brazil; Carrier Proteins - chemistry; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Catechol Oxidase - metabolism; Enzyme Precursors - metabolism; Female; Fusariosis - genetics; Fusariosis - metabolism; Fusariosis - microbiology; Fusarium - metabolism; Hemolymph - chemistry; Hemolymph - metabolism; Hepatopancreas - metabolism; Lectin; Lectins - chemistry; Lectins - genetics; Lectins - metabolism; Male; Pattern recognition protein/receptor; Penaeidae - genetics; Penaeidae - metabolism; Penaeidae - microbiology; Prophenoloxidase activating system; Protein Binding; Shrimp immunity; Transcriptional response to fungal infection; βGBP
• ISSN: 0161-5890; 1872-9142
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2012.03.032

► Purified Farfantepenaeus paulensis (FpβGBP) and Litopenaeus schmitti (LsβGBP) βGBPs were able to enhance the activation of the proPO system. ► Shrimp βGBPs are able to agglutinate fungal cells, in a lectin-like manner. ► This is the first evidence of a lectin-like activity for βGBP. ► FpβGBP showed to be constitutively expressed and was not modulated by a non-lethal dose of filamentous fungi. β-1,3-Glucan binding proteins (βGBPs) are soluble pattern recognition proteins/receptors that bind to β-1,3-glucans from fungi cell walls. In crustaceans, βGBPs are abundant plasmatic proteins produced by the hepatopancreas, and have been proved to play multiple biological functions. Here, we purified and characterized novel members of the βGBP family from the hemolymph of two Brazilian shrimps, Farfantepenaeus paulensis (FpβGBP) and Litopenaeus schmitti (LsβGBP). As observed for other crustacean species, FpβGBP and LsβGBP are monomeric proteins (∼100kDa) able to enhance the activation of the prophenoloxidase system, a potent antimicrobial defense conserved in arthropods. More interestingly, we provided here evidence for a novel biological activity for shrimp βGBPs: the agglutination of fungal cells. Finally, we investigated the modulation of the βGBP gene in F. paulensis shrimps experimentally infected with a cognate fungal pathogen, Fusarium solani. From our expression data, βGBP gene is constitutively expressed in hepatopancreas and not modulated upon a non-lethal fungal infection. Herein, we have improved our knowledge about the βGBP family by the characterization of a novel biological role for this multifunctional protein in shrimp.