Molecular cloning and characterization of bloodthirsty from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

The tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins are involved in a variety of cellular functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, development, oncogenesis, apoptosis and antiviral activity. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of an Atlantic cod tripartite motif-containing protein named bloodthirsty from a poly I:C subtractive cDNA library. The Atlantic cod bloodthirsty (Acbloodthirsty) has a predicted open reading frame of 541 amino acids, encoding a putative 64-kDa protein. The N-terminal region contains the three motifs typical of TRIM proteins, a RING finger, one B-box, and a coiled-coil domain, which together form the TRIM motif found in this large family of proteins, whereas the C-terminal region contains a PRYSPRY domain. The intracellular localization of Acbloodthirsty in CHSE-214 cells showed mostly diffuse staining with some discrete compartments in the cytoplasm. The induction of bloodthirsty transcripts by poly I:C was seen in spleen using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR). The expression pattern indicates that Acbloodthirsty is involved in antiviral immune response in Atlantic cod.