Characterization of chitinase-like proteins (Cg-Clp1 and Cg-Clp2) involved in immune defence of the mollusc Crassostrea gigas

Chitinase-like proteins have been identified in insects and mammals as nonenzymatic members of the glycoside hydrolase family 18. Recently, the first molluscan chitinase-like protein, named Crassostrea gigas (Cg)-Clp1, was shown to control the proliferation and synthesis of extracellular matrix components of mammalian chondrocytes. However, the precise physiological roles of Cg-Clp1 in oysters remain unknown. Here, we report the cloning and the characterization of a new chitinase-like protein (Cg-Clp2) from the oyster Crassostrea gigas. Gene expression profiles monitored by quantitative RT-PCR in adult tissues and through development support its involvement in tissue growth and remodelling. Both Cg-Clp1- and Cg-Clp2-encoding genes were transcriptionally stimulated in haemocytes in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide challenge, strongly suggesting that these two close paralogous genes play a role in oyster immunity.