Molecular characterization and expression analysis of suppressors of cytokine signalling from golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus)

The suppressors of cytokine signalling (SOCS) family plays negative roles in regulating cytokine signalling pathways that related to immunity, growth and development. In the present study, eight SOCS genes were characterized from golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus), a marine teleost with great economic values. The eight SOCSs of golden pompano possess conserved motifs that found in other fish SOCSs. The obtained SOCSs shared high sequence identities with their counterparts in other fish species, confirmed by phylogenetic tree analysis. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that the eight SOCS genes were ubiquitously expressed in all the selected tissues of normal golden pompano. After lipopolysaccharide (LPS), polyI:C and Vibrioalginilyticus challenged in vivo, the SOCS genes of golden pompano exhibited distinct expression patterns in spleen and head kidney (HK). Our results indicated that SOCSs involve in the immune response to viral or bacterial infection in golden pompano. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on SOCSs in golden pompano.