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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sohn, Min-Young, Kang, Gyoungsik, Kim, Kyung-Ho, Son, Ha-Jeong, Park, Chan-Il
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 2025
Online Access:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40723580/
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Table of Contents:
  • Functional Characterization of in the Starry Flounder () and Its Potential as an Immunostimulant. Sohn, Min-Young Kang, Gyoungsik Kim, Kyung-Ho Son, Ha-Jeong Park, Chan-Il () is a central pro-inflammatory cytokine that mediates host immune responses during infection. In this study, we identified and characterized the gene in the starry flounder () through transcriptomic analysis. The deduced protein contained a conserved TNF domain and transmembrane region, and phylogenetic analysis confirmed its homology with other teleost TNFα proteins. Tissue-specific expression profiling revealed high baseline expression in immune-related peripheral organs and a distinct temporal modulation in response to infection. Recombinant TNFα (rTNFα), produced using a cell-free expression system, significantly enhanced phagocytic activity in peripheral and kidney-derived leukocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Peak activity was observed at 150-200 μg/mL, while a decline at higher concentrations suggested a threshold for immune stimulation. Importantly, hemolysis assays confirmed the safety of rTNFα even at the highest tested concentrations. These results demonstrate the immunomodulatory potential of TNFα as a molecular adjuvant in aquaculture vaccines and underscore its potential utility in immune-enhancing strategies for sustainable aquaculture.