The tumor suppressor protein p53 plays important roles in DNA repair, cell cycle and genetic stability. In the present study, a p53 gene in the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) (designated as Sp-53) was identified and characterized. The open reading frame of Sp-53 was comprised a 1383 bp, which encoded a putative protein of 460 amino acids. Sp-53 is expressed in all examined tissues, with the highest expression in hepatopancreas and hemocytes. Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection induced oxidative stress, and led to DNA damage. The Sp-53 transcriptions in hepatopancreas were significantly up-regulated after V. parahaemolyticus infection. RNA interference (RNAi) experiment was used to understand the roles of Sp-53 in response to V. parahaemolyticus infection. Knocking down Sp-53 in vivo significantly reduced the expression of the Mn-SOD, Gpx3 and caspase 3 after V. parahaemolyticus infection. Moreover, the mortality of mud crabs and DNA damage in Sp-53-silenced mud crab challenged with V. parahaemolyticus were significantly higher than those in the control group. All these results suggested that Sp-53 played an important role in responses to V. parahaemolyticus infection through its participation in regulation of antioxidant defense, DNA repair and apoptosis.
Keywords: DNA damage; P53; Scylla paramamosain; Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
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