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LPS induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (LITAF) plays a role in regulating the expression of TNF-α. The present study was undertaken to identify a gene, Ca-LITAF, from oyster Crassostrea ariakensis challenged with rickettsia-likea organism (RLO). The full-length cDNA consists of 750 bp with an ORF encoding 115 amino acid residues. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that Ca-LITAF shared conserved signature motifs with other LITAF proteins. The expression of Ca-LITAF was found in all examined tissues with a higher expression level in gills. The recombinant Ca-LITAF was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 cells and purified for the preparation of polyclonal antibody. The obvious expression of Ca-LITAF induced by RLO in hemocytes monolayers was revealed by western blotting using antibody against Ca-LITAF. These results suggest that Ca-LITAF is a LITAF homologue and may be involved in host immune responses against RLO.