Enzymatic elucidation of haemocyanin from Kuruma shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus and its molecular recognition mechanism towards pathogens

Haemocyanin is an important non-specific immune protein present in the hemolymph of invertebrates, which have the ability to recognize the microbial pathogens and trigger the innate immune system. In this study, we isolated and purified the haemocyanin using gel filtration chromatography and investigated its microbial recognition mechanism against the invading pathogens. Kuruma shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus haemocyanin showed the single band with a molecular weight of 76 kDa on SDS-PAGE and its molecular mass was analysed through the MALDI. Pathogen recognition mechanism of M. japonicus haemocyanin was detected through bacterial agglutination, agglutination inhibition and prophenoloxidase activity. M. japonicus haemocyanin agglutinate all human blood RBC types and showed the bacterial agglutination against all tested Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus subtilis and Gram negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Vibrio parahaemolyticus at the concentrations ranging from 30 to 50 mu g/ml. Agglutination was inhibited by 50-200 mM of N-acetylneuraminic acid, a-D-glucose, D-galactose and D-xylose. Our results suggest that, 76 kDa subunit of M. japonicus haemocyanin recognize the pathogenic surface proteins which are present on the outer membrane of the bacteria and mediates the bacterial agglutination through haemocytes. This bacterial agglutination was visualized through Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). This present study would be helpful to explore the importance of haemocyanin in innate immune response of M. japonicus and its eliciting pathogen recognition mechanism leads to the development of innate immunity in crustaceans.