Characterization and function of kuruma shrimp lysozyme possessing lytic activity against Vibrio species.

Lysozyme cDNA was isolated from a kuruma shrimp, Marsupenaeus japonicus, hemocyte cDNA library. The cDNA consists of 1055 base pairs (bp) and encodes a chicken-type (c-type) lysozyme with a deduced amino acid sequence of 156 residues. The kuruma shrimp lysozyme has a high identity (79.7%) with pacific white shrimp lysozyme, and low to moderate identities (33.3-43.0%) with lysozymes of insects and vertebrates. Comparisons with other c-type lysozymes from invertebrates and vertebrates showed that the two catalytic residues (Glu58 and Asp75) and the eight cysteine residue motif were completely conserved. Two novel insertion sequences were also observed in the kuruma and pacific white shrimp lysozyme amino acid sequences. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the kuruma shrimp lysozyme was more closely related to vertebrate c-type lysozymes. Expression of the cDNA in insect cells, using a baculovirus expression system, yielded a recombinant lysozyme with optimum activity at pH 7.5 and 50 degrees C, as evaluated by a lysoplate assay. The kuruma shrimp lysozyme displayed lytic activities against several Vibrio species and fish pathogens, including Vibrio penaeicida (a pathogenic bacteria to the kuruma shrimp) and suggested that shrimp lysozyme affects a greater variety of pathogens.