Hyperthermic stress-induced increase in the expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase and glutathione levels in the symbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia pallida.

ABSTRACT: Hyperthermic stress is known to trigger the loss of unicellular algae from a number of symbiotic cnidarians, a phenomenon commonly referred to as bleaching. Oxidative and nitrosative stress have been suggested to play a major role during the process of bleaching, however the underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. In animals, the intracellular tripeptide glutathione (GSH) is involved in antioxidant defense, redox homeostasis and intracellular redox signaling. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that hyperthermal stress-induced bleaching in Aiptasia pallida, a model for symbiotic cnidarians, results in increased levels of GSH synthesis. We report the cDNA sequence and functional analysis of the catalytic subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCLC), which catalyzes the r

SUBMITTER: Sunagawa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2732428 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature