Identification of cells expressing two peptidoglycan recognition proteins in the gill of the vent mussel, Bathymodiolus septemdierum

In this study, we focused on a group of highly conserved PRRs, peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs), in the deep-sea mussel, Bathymodiolus septemdierum, which harbours chemosynthetic bacteria in their gill epithelial cells. We isolated B. septemdierum PGRP genes BsPGRP-S and BsPGRP-L, which encode a short- and a long-type PGRP, respectively. The short-type PGRP has a signal peptide and was expressed in the asymbiotic goblet mucous cells in the gill epithelium, whereas the long-type PGRP was predicted to include a transmembrane domain and was expressed in gill bacteriocytes. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the secreted and transmembrane PGRPs are engaged in host defence against pathogenic bacteria and/or in the regulation of symbiosis via different cellular localizations and mechanisms.
Source: Fish and Shellfish Immunology - Category: Biology Source Type: research