Ninjurin-1 executes plasma membrane rupture and impairs anti-microbial immunity in an early jawed vertebrate.

ABSTRACT: Plasma membrane rupture (PMR), once considered a passive event in necrosis, is actively executed by ninjurin-1 (NINJ1). Although PMR is a well-documented phenomenon across animal species, its molecular mechanism and immunological function in early diverging jawed vertebrates remain unclear. Herein, we identify a functional homolog of NINJ1 in turbot. Ectopic expression of turbot NINJ1 effectively lyses the plasma membrane, leading to rapid PMR and massive release of cellular contents. Given that turbot NINJ1 has two transmembrane helices, it could distribute within membrane-bound organelles and the plasma membrane as PMR progresses. Co-expression with turbot gasdermin significantly amplifies NINJ1-mediated PMR, even when both proteins are present at non-cytotoxic levels. Structural analysi

SUBMITTER: Jin X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12799870 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature