We have previously characterized the first invertebrate homolog of serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins in the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima, where its expression is associated with intestinal regeneration, suggesting a possible involvement of SAA proteins in intestinal morphogenesis. Here we show that bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) trigger a coelomocyte-mediated immune response in H. glabe...

SpCoel1 is a single copy gene that is specifically expressed in most of the coelomocytes of the adult purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The 4-kb transcript from this gene has a relatively short (426 nucleotide) open reading frame (ORF) with long 3' and 5' untranslated regions. The ORF encodes a protein that has strong amino acid sequence similarity to profilins from yeast to mam...

We report the identification of an invertebrate Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporter, NKCC. As a model system, we used the immune cells (coelomocytes) of the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. These cells are particularly interesting because they can be activated to undergo a rapid and dynamic change in cell shape. We demonstrate that forskolin, a cyclic AMP agonist known to regulate NK...

Coelomocytes represent the immune cells of echinoderms, but detailed knowledge about their roles during immune responses is very limited. One major challenge for studying coelomocyte biology is the lack of reagents to identify and purify distinct populations defined by objective molecular markers rather than by morphology-based classifications that are subjective at times. Glycosylation pattern...

In this study, we explored the potential roles of miRNA-133 in regulating TLR pathways in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. Target screening of RNA-Seq data successfully identified interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (AjIRAK-1) as a putative target of miR-133. This result was further validated by negative expression profiles in Vibrio splendidus-challenged coelomocytes and lipopolys...

Characteristics of bacterial clearance were investigated in the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea). Primary clearance kinetics were determined for three bacteria, a marine Gram negative motile rod, a marine Gram positive non-motile rod, and a Gram negative freshwater fish pathogen, Aeromonas salmonicida. Clearance kinetics differed for each of the three...

Climate-induced ocean warming and acidification may render marine organisms more vulnerable to infectious diseases. We investigated the effects of warming and acidification on the immune response of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma Sea urchins were gradually introduced to four combinations of temperature and pHNIST (17°C/pH 8.15, 17°C/pH 7.6, 23°C/pH 8.15 and 23°C/pH 7.6) and then held...

In the immune system of vertebrates, gender-specific differences in individual immune competence are well known. In general, females possess more powerful immune response than males. In invertebrates, the situation is much less clear. For this purpose we have chosen to study the immune response of the two sexes of the echinoderm Paracentrotus lividus in pre- and post-spawning phases. The coelom...