Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34762288›Full record

ArticleGenes & genomics2021

Transcriptional upregulation of multiple earthworm chitinase genes following bacterial challenge suggests their implications in innate immunity.

Beom Jun Park, Yoo Bin Yoon, Dong Ho Lee, Chuog Shin, Louis Juakali, Sung-Jin Cho, Soon Cheol Park

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Article in Genes & genomics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 46% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Beom Jun Park *Department of Life Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
Yoo Bin Yoon *Department of Life Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
Dong Ho Lee *Da Vinci College of General Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
Chuog ShinDepartment of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea.
Louis JuakaliDepartment EGRA, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Sung-Jin ChoDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea. sjchobio@chungbuk.ac.kr.ORCID 0000-0001-6126-6310
Soon Cheol ParkDepartment of Life Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea. scpark@cau.ac.kr.
Chung-Ang University · KRChungbuk National University · KRUniversité de Kisangani · CDYonsei University · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChitinase is a multi-functional enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of β-1,4-linkages between N-acetylglucosamines (GlcNAc) in chitin. Recent studies imply that earthworm chitinase is implicated in self-defense immunity against chitin-containing pathogens. However, a direct relationship of earthworm chitinase with innate immunity has not yet been established.

objectiveIn this study, earthworm (Eisenia andrei) chitinase expression was examined following bacterial challenge by Bacillus subtilis.

methodsRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to quantitatively evaluate mRNA expression changes in response to bacterial stimulation.

resultsMultiple chitinase-related mRNAs were found to be upregulated, among which EaChi3, EaChi4, and EaChi2 were upregulated by approximately eightfold, eightfold, and 2.5-fold, respectively. This strongly suggested that earthworm chitinases may act as inducible humoral effectors in earthworm innate immunity. The primary structures of all three chitinases contained an N-terminal glycol_18 domain with two chitin-binding and chitin-catalyzing domains, and a C-terminal proline, glycine, serine, threonine (PGST)-rich domain. In addition, EaChi2 had a chitin-binding peritrophin-A domain at the end of the C-terminus with 5 cysteine residues possibly contributing two intradomain disulfide bonds. Multiple sequence alignment of the catalytic domain centers of glycol_18 domain displayed highly conserved chitin-binding and chitin-catalyzing domains in which three essential amino acid residues (D, D, E) for catalyzing activity are well conserved except EaChi4. The critical glutamic acid (E) residue was substituted for glutamine (Q) in EaChi4 indicating that it is devoid of catalytic activity.

conclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first report providing direct evidence that multiple earthworm chitinases are bacteria-responsive, strongly suggesting that earthworm chitinases are inducible humoral effectors in earthworm innate immunity. In addition, our results possibly suggest that earthworm EaChi4 may function as a pattern recognition molecule modulating the downstream immune pathway.

Indexed as

Immunity, InnateAnimalsBacillus subtilisCatalytic DomainChitinasesOligochaetaUp-RegulationChitinasesBacterial challengeEarthwormInnate immune effectormRNA upregulationMultiple forms of chitinaseRNA sequencing

Identifiers

PMID34762288
OpenAlexW3213375760

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.