Identification and characterization of a novel ApeC-containing transmembrane protein family in parasitic flatworms.

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Hauptverfasser: Ouyang, Jihua, Han, Guangkun, Chen, Jinsong, Hu, Jiaxuan, Luo, Lei, Zhang, Hao, Lan, Chunliu, Lu, Qianyu, Gou, Yin, Gu, Hanjie, Hu, Yonghua, Zhang, Peng, Xu, Anlong, Huang, Shengfeng
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Veröffentlicht: International journal of biological macromolecules 2025
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author Ouyang, Jihua
Han, Guangkun
Chen, Jinsong
Hu, Jiaxuan
Luo, Lei
Zhang, Hao
Lan, Chunliu
Lu, Qianyu
Gou, Yin
Gu, Hanjie
Hu, Yonghua
Zhang, Peng
Xu, Anlong
Huang, Shengfeng
author_facet Ouyang, Jihua
Han, Guangkun
Chen, Jinsong
Hu, Jiaxuan
Luo, Lei
Zhang, Hao
Lan, Chunliu
Lu, Qianyu
Gou, Yin
Gu, Hanjie
Hu, Yonghua
Zhang, Peng
Xu, Anlong
Huang, Shengfeng
Ouyang, Jihua
Han, Guangkun
Chen, Jinsong
Hu, Jiaxuan
Luo, Lei
Zhang, Hao
Lan, Chunliu
Lu, Qianyu
Gou, Yin
Gu, Hanjie
Hu, Yonghua
Zhang, Peng
Xu, Anlong
Huang, Shengfeng
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Identification and characterization of a novel ApeC-containing transmembrane protein family in parasitic flatworms. Ouyang, Jihua Han, Guangkun Chen, Jinsong Hu, Jiaxuan Luo, Lei Zhang, Hao Lan, Chunliu Lu, Qianyu Gou, Yin Gu, Hanjie Hu, Yonghua Zhang, Peng Xu, Anlong Huang, Shengfeng Animals Platyhelminths Helminth Proteins Phylogeny Membrane Proteins Amino Acid Sequence Protein Domains Evolution, Molecular Multigene Family The Apextrin C-terminal (ApeC) domain is widely distributed across various animal clades. Several ApeC domains have been identified as carbohydrate-binding domains, contributing to extracellular adhesion and mucosal immunity. However, the functions and evolutionary history of most ApeC-containing protein (ACP) families remain largely unexplored. In this study, we identified 213 ACPs in flatworms (Platyhelminthes), with each species containing one to two such proteins. All flatworm ACPs belong to a unique transmembrane protein family, characterized by a length of 1700-2200 amino acids and a distinctive domain architecture (SP-[Kringle]-[ApeC]-[EGF]-TM) unlike any found in other phyla. This ACP is conserved across all major parasitic flatworm lineages, including flukes (Trematoda), tapeworms (Cestoda) and monogeneans (Monogenea), despite their diverse morphologies and habitats. Notably, it is also present in one group of free-living flatworms, the planarians (Tricladida), suggesting that this ACP originated in the free-living ancestor of parasitic flatworms. This ACP contains seven consecutive ApeC domains, an unparalleled number among known animal proteins. Five of these ApeC domains are highly divergent, necessitating the definition of a new domain model (ApeC_Pla; Pfam: PF24148) for accurate classification. Structural predictions indicate that these ApeC domains adopt a conserved three β-sheet structure. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed that flatworm ACPs, along with several important serpins and proteases, are predominantly expressed in parenchymal cells and feeding organs, suggesting that ACPs serve as novel marker genes for parenchymal tissue and may be involved in cell adhesion, oral immunity, and parasite-host interactions. Taken together, our findings indicate that this flatworm ACP represents a promising target for vaccine development and provides key insights into the physiology of the parenchyma, a unique flatworm tissue that functions as a substitute for a body cavity.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_40210028
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2025
publisher International journal of biological macromolecules
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Identification and characterization of a novel ApeC-containing transmembrane protein family in parasitic flatworms.
Ouyang, Jihua
Han, Guangkun
Chen, Jinsong
Hu, Jiaxuan
Luo, Lei
Zhang, Hao
Lan, Chunliu
Lu, Qianyu
Gou, Yin
Gu, Hanjie
Hu, Yonghua
Zhang, Peng
Xu, Anlong
Huang, Shengfeng
Animals
Platyhelminths
Helminth Proteins
Phylogeny
Membrane Proteins
Amino Acid Sequence
Protein Domains
Evolution, Molecular
Multigene Family
Identification and characterization of a novel ApeC-containing transmembrane protein family in parasitic flatworms. Ouyang, Jihua Han, Guangkun Chen, Jinsong Hu, Jiaxuan Luo, Lei Zhang, Hao Lan, Chunliu Lu, Qianyu Gou, Yin Gu, Hanjie Hu, Yonghua Zhang, Peng Xu, Anlong Huang, Shengfeng Animals Platyhelminths Helminth Proteins Phylogeny Membrane Proteins Amino Acid Sequence Protein Domains Evolution, Molecular Multigene Family The Apextrin C-terminal (ApeC) domain is widely distributed across various animal clades. Several ApeC domains have been identified as carbohydrate-binding domains, contributing to extracellular adhesion and mucosal immunity. However, the functions and evolutionary history of most ApeC-containing protein (ACP) families remain largely unexplored. In this study, we identified 213 ACPs in flatworms (Platyhelminthes), with each species containing one to two such proteins. All flatworm ACPs belong to a unique transmembrane protein family, characterized by a length of 1700-2200 amino acids and a distinctive domain architecture (SP-[Kringle]-[ApeC]-[EGF]-TM) unlike any found in other phyla. This ACP is conserved across all major parasitic flatworm lineages, including flukes (Trematoda), tapeworms (Cestoda) and monogeneans (Monogenea), despite their diverse morphologies and habitats. Notably, it is also present in one group of free-living flatworms, the planarians (Tricladida), suggesting that this ACP originated in the free-living ancestor of parasitic flatworms. This ACP contains seven consecutive ApeC domains, an unparalleled number among known animal proteins. Five of these ApeC domains are highly divergent, necessitating the definition of a new domain model (ApeC_Pla; Pfam: PF24148) for accurate classification. Structural predictions indicate that these ApeC domains adopt a conserved three β-sheet structure. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed that flatworm ACPs, along with several important serpins and proteases, are predominantly expressed in parenchymal cells and feeding organs, suggesting that ACPs serve as novel marker genes for parenchymal tissue and may be involved in cell adhesion, oral immunity, and parasite-host interactions. Taken together, our findings indicate that this flatworm ACP represents a promising target for vaccine development and provides key insights into the physiology of the parenchyma, a unique flatworm tissue that functions as a substitute for a body cavity.
title Identification and characterization of a novel ApeC-containing transmembrane protein family in parasitic flatworms.
topic Animals
Platyhelminths
Helminth Proteins
Phylogeny
Membrane Proteins
Amino Acid Sequence
Protein Domains
Evolution, Molecular
Multigene Family
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40210028/