Cloning and analysis of non-specific cytotoxic cell receptor (NCCRP)-1 from common carp Cyprinus carpio L

Nonspecific cytotoxic cell receptor protein (NCCRP-1) provides an important function in target cell recognition and activation of cytotoxicity. NCCRP-1 has been cloned from common carp Cyprinus carpio L. from fish barbel by EST analysis. The isolated gene is composed of 945 bp with a 79 bp 5′ UTR, 714 bp open reading frame and 152 bp 3′ UTR. The predicted NCCRP-1 gene is composed of 237 amino acid residues and its predicted signal peptide is 19 amino acid residues in length. This gene has conservation of all the related domains characteristic to the NCCRP-1 gene in fish. Phylogenetic and genomic analyses showed that carp NCCRP-1 was similar to other fish orthologues. The expression of NCCRP-1 gene was constitutive in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. Furthermore, by semi-quantitative RT-PCR studies, we showed that NCCRP-1 gene expression is increased in anterior kidney challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila.