Copper/Zinc superoxide dismutase from the crocodile icefish Chionodraco hamatus : antioxidant defense at constant sub-zero temperature ...

• Main Authors: Chatzidimitriou, Evangelia, Bisaccia, Paola, Corrà, Francesca, Bonato, Marco, Irato, Paola, Manuto, Laura, Toppo, Stefano, Bakiu, Rigers, Santovito, Gianfranco
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2020
• Subjects: Antarctica; Chionodraco hamatus; Cold adaptation; Gene expression; Molecular evolution; Protein purification; Superoxide dismutase; Teleost; 572 Biochemie; 590 Tiere Zoologie; Antarctic; Ross Sea; The Antarctic; Antarc*; antartic*; Icefish
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-26000; https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/26000

In the present study, we describe the purification and molecular characterization of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) from Chionodraco hamatus, an Antarctic teleost widely distributed in many areas of the Ross Sea that plays a pivotal role in the Antarctic food chain. The primary sequence was obtained using biochemical and molecular biology approaches and compared with Cu,Zn SODs from other organisms. Multiple sequence alignment using the amino acid sequence revealed that Cu,Zn SOD showed considerable sequence similarity with its orthologues from various vertebrate species, but also some specific substitutions directly linked to cold adaptation. Phylogenetic analyses presented the monophyletic status of Antartic Teleostei among the Perciformes, confirming the erratic differentiation of these proteins and concurring with the theory of the "unclock-like" behavior of Cu,Zn SOD evolution. Expression of C. hamatus Cu,Zn SOD at both the mRNA and protein levels were analyzed in various tissues, highlighting the ...