A survey of expressed genes in leukocytes of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus infected with Hirame rhabdovirus

We constructed a cDNA library of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, leukocytes that were infected with Hirame rhabdovirus (HRV) in order to an alyze some of the genes that are induced and expressed by virus infection i n the immune system. Four hundred and fifty-two partial sequences represent ing 300 cDNA clones were obtained from the 5' and/or 3' ends of inserts der ived from the Japanese flounder leukocyte cDNA library. About three-quarter s of the 300 cDNA clones (217 clones, 72.3%) represented known genes in the public databases, whereas the remaining 83 (27.7%) of the clones did not s how any significant homology with the sequences in the public databases. Cl ones matching known genes were classified into 12 categories according to t heir function or distribution. Only 40 (18.4%) of the 217 known genes showe d homology with fish genes deposited in the database. Thirty (10%) of the c lones, encoding 21 different sequences, and representing several categories , were identified as putative biodefense genes or genes associated with the immune response. Nineteen of the 21 putative biodefense or immune response -related cDNAs have not been previously reported in fish genes or cDNAs. (C ) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.