Identification and functional characterization of protein kinase R (PKR) in amphibian Xenopus tropicalis

Zhen Gan; Xinlan Xu; Shaoshuai Tang; Qingqing Wen; Yong Jin; Yishan Lu

doi:10.1016/j.dci.2023.104648

Identification and functional characterization of protein kinase R (PKR) in amphibian Xenopus tropicalis

Dev Comp Immunol. 2023 Apr:141:104648. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104648. Epub 2023 Jan 25.

Authors

Zhen Gan¹, Xinlan Xu², Shaoshuai Tang³, Qingqing Wen², Yong Jin³, Yishan Lu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China. Electronic address: ganzhen258@163.com.
² Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China.
³ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
⁴ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen Public Service Platform for Evaluation of Marine Economic Animal Seedings, Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518120, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China. Electronic address: fishdis@163.com.

PMID: 36708793
DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104648

Abstract

As one of interferon-induced serine/threonine kinases, the protein kinase R (PKR) plays vital roles in antiviral defense, and functional features of PKR remain largely unknown in amphibians, which suffer from ranaviral diseases in the last few decades. In this study, a PKR gene named Xt-PKR was characterized in the Western clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis). Xt-PKR gene was widely expressed in different organs/tissues, and was rapidly induced by poly(I:C) in spleen, kidney, and liver. Intriguingly, Xt-PKR could be up-rugulated by the treatment of type I and type III interferons, and the transcript level of Xt-PKR induced by type I interferon was much higher than that of type III interferon. Moreover, overexpression of Xt-PKR can suppress the protein synthesis and ranavirus replication in vitro, and the residue lysine required for the translation inhibition activity in mammalian PKR is conserved in Xt-PKR. The present study represents the first characterization on the functions of amphibian PKR, and reveals considerable functional conservation of PKR in early tetrapods.

Keywords: Functional conservation; Interferons; PKR; Ranavirus; Xenopus tropicalis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Gene Expression
Organ Specificity
Xenopus* / metabolism
eIF-2 Kinase* / genetics
eIF-2 Kinase* / metabolism

Substances

eIF-2 Kinase