Structural and Evolutionary Relationships of Melanin Cascade Proteins in Cnidarian Innate Immunity

Author:

Van Buren Emily W1ORCID,Ponce Ivan E1,Beavers Kelsey M12ORCID,Stokes Alexia1,Cornelio Mariah N1,Emery Madison1,Mydlarz Laura D1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington, TX 76019 , USA

2. Texas Advanced Computing Center, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78758 , USA

Abstract

Synopsis Melanin is an essential product that plays an important role in innate immunity in a variety of organisms across the animal kingdom. Melanin synthesis is performed by many organisms using the tyrosine metabolism pathway, a general pathway that utilizes a type-three copper oxidase protein, called PO-candidates (phenoloxidase candidates). While melanin synthesis is well-characterized in organisms like arthropods and humans, it is not as well-understood in non-model organisms such as cnidarians. With the rising anthropomorphic climate change influence on marine ecosystems, cnidarians, specifically corals, are under an increased threat of bleaching and disease. Understanding innate immune pathways, such as melanin synthesis, is vital for gaining insights into how corals may be able to fight these threats. In this study, we use comparative bioinformatic approaches to provide a comprehensive analysis of genes involved in tyrosine-mediated melanin synthesis in cnidarians. Eighteen PO-candidates representing five phyla were studied to identify their evolutionary relationship. Cnidarian species were most similar to chordates due to domain presents in the amino acid sequences. From there, functionally conserved domains in coral proteins were identified in a coral disease dataset. Five stony corals exposed to stony coral tissue loss disease were leveraged to identify 18 putative tyrosine metabolism genes, genes with functionally conserved domains to their Homo sapiens counterpart. To put this pathway in the context of coral health, putative genes were correlated to melanin concentration from tissues of stony coral species in the disease exposure dataset. In this study, tyrosinase was identified in stony corals as correlated to melanin concentrations and likely plays a key role in immunity as a resistance trait. In addition, stony coral genes were assigned to all modules within the tyrosine metabolism pathway, indicating an evolutionary conservation of this pathway across phyla. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the genes involved in tyrosine-mediated melanin synthesis in cnidarians.

Funder

National Science Foundation

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Reference103 articles.

1. Origin, evolution and classification of type-3 copper proteins: lineage-specific gene expansions and losses across the Metazoa;Aguilera;BMC Evol Biol,2013

2. Characterization of phenoloxidase activity in Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata);Aladaileh;Comp Biochem Physiol B: Biochem Mol Biol,2007

3. Stony coral tissue loss disease decimated Caribbean coral populations and reshaped reef functionality;Alvarez-Filip;Commun Biol,2022

4. Chemical transmission in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis: a genomic perspective;Anctil;Comp Biochem Physiol D: Genomics Proteomics,2009

5. Extraction, anti-tyrosinase, and antioxidant activities of the collagen hydrolysate derived from Rhopilema hispidum;Aziz;Prep Biochem Biotechnol,2021

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3