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Author Spotlight: Advancing Protein Glycosylation Research Using a Fully Automated System
Published on: June 28, 2024
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Distribution, polymorphism, and function of the cellular-aggregation-promoting protein, Apostichopus japonicus
Shunsuke Sugawara1, Sara Kuwata1, Miyabi Sato1
1School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1, Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan.
Developmental and Comparative Immunology
|March 23, 2026
Summary
The Japanese sea cucumber
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Echinoderm coelomocytes aggregate rapidly when stimulated.
- A previous study identified AjGBCL, a galactose-binding C-type lectin, as an aggregation-promoting factor in Apostichopus japonicus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize recombinant AjGBCL (rAjGBCL) and its role in coelomocyte aggregation.
- To investigate the localization and molecular forms of AjGBCL.
- To explore the sequence polymorphism of AjGBCL mRNA.
Main Methods:
- Production of recombinant AjGBCL (rAjGBCL) and anti-rAjGBCL mouse serum.
- Western blotting to determine molecular forms.
- Immunohistochemistry to localize AjGBCL.
- cDNA sequencing of AjGBCL mRNA from multiple individuals.
Main Results:
- rAjGBCL was confirmed to promote coelomocyte aggregation.
- AjGBCL exists as monomer, dimer, or tetramer under non-reducing conditions.
- AjGBCL is primarily localized in the granules of basophilic granulocytes and other coelomocytes in various tissues.
- Extraordinary sequence polymorphism was found in AjGBCL mRNA, with 23 distinct cDNA sequences encoding 23 different amino acid sequences from 28 clones.
Conclusions:
- AjGBCL is a key factor in echinoderm coelomocyte aggregation, produced by various coelomocytes.
- The high degree of AjGBCL sequence polymorphism suggests potential functional or evolutionary significance in Apostichopus japonicus.
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