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Thymosin proteins are well known for their actin-binding activity. Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) has been associated with biological activities in tissue repair and cell migration via interaction with ATP-synthase in vertebrates, while the information of similar thymosin functions in invertebrates is limited. We have shown previously that ATP-synthase is present on the surface of crayfish hematopoietic tissue (HPT) cells, and that astakine 1 (Ast1, an invertebrate cytokine) was found to interact with this β-subunit of ATP synthase. Here, we identified five different β-thymosins from Pacifastacus leniusculus, designated Pl-β-thymosin1-5. The two dominant isoforms in brain, HPT and hemocytes, Pl-β-thymosin1 and 2, were chosen for functional studies. Both isoforms could bind to the β-subunit of ATP-synthase, and Pl-β-thymosin1, but not Pl-β-thymosin2, significantly increased extracellular ATP formation. Moreover, Pl-β-thymosin1 stimulated HPT cell migration in vitro and Ast1 blocked this effect. Pl-β-thymosin2 increased the circulating hemocyte number at an early stage after injection. Additionally, in vivo injection of Pl-β-thymosin1 resulted in significant reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in crayfish HPT whereas Pl-β-thymosin2 had a similar but transient effect. Both Pl-β-thymosins induced the expression of Ast1 and superoxide dismutase (SOD) transcripts, while silencing of endogenous Pl-β-thymosin 1 and 2 by RNAi resulted in significant reduction of the Ast1 and SOD transcripts. The diverse effects exhibited by Pl-β-thymosin1 and Pl-β-thymosin2 indicates that these proteins are involved in a complex interaction that regulates the hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and differentiation. © 2013 Saelee et al., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Thymosin proteins are well known for their actin-binding activity. Thymosin beta 4 (T beta 4) has been associated with biological activities in tissue repair and cell migration via interaction with ATP-synthase in vertebrates, while the information of similar thymosin functions in invertebrates is limited. We have shown previously that ATP-synthase is present on the surface of crayfish hematopoietic tissue (HPT) cells, and that astakine 1 (Ast1, an invertebrate cytokine) was found to interact with this beta-subunit of ATP synthase. Here, we identified five different beta-thymosins from Pacifastacus leniusculus, designated Pl-beta-thymosin1-5. The two dominant isoforms in brain, HPT and hemocytes, Pl-beta-thymosin1 and 2, were chosen for functional studies. Both isoforms could bind to the b-subunit of ATP-synthase, and Pl-beta-thymosin1, but not Pl-beta-thymosin2, significantly increased extracellular ATP formation. Moreover, Pl-beta-thymosin1 stimulated HPT cell migration in vitro and Ast1 blocked this effect. Pl-beta-thymosin2 increased the circulating hemocyte number at an early stage after injection. Additionally, in vivo injection of Pl-beta-thymosin1 resulted in significant reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in crayfish HPT whereas Pl-beta-thymosin2 had a similar but transient effect. Both Pl-beta-thymosins induced the expression of Ast1 and superoxide dismutase (SOD) transcripts, while silencing of endogenous Pl-beta-thymosin 1 and 2 by RNAi resulted in significant reduction of the Ast1 and SOD transcripts. The diverse effects exhibited by Pl-beta-thymosin1 and Pl-beta-thymosin2 indicates that these proteins are involved in a complex interaction that regulates the hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and differentiation.

Daily, circadian rhythms influence essentially all living organisms and affect many physiological processes from sleep and nutrition to immunity. This ability to respond to environmental daily rhythms has been conserved along evolution, and it is found among species from bacteria to mammals. The hematopoietic process of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus is under circadian control and is tightly regulated by astakines, a new family of cytokines sharing a prokineticin (PROK) domain. The expression of AST1 and AST2 are light-dependent, and this suggests an evolutionarily conserved function for PROK domain proteins in mediating circadian rhythms. Vertebrate PROKs are transmitters of circadian rhythms of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain of mammals, but the mechanism by which they function is unknown. Here we demonstrate that high AST2 expression is induced by melatonin in the brain. We identify RACK1 as a binding protein of AST2 and further provide evidence that a complex between AST2 and RACK1 functions as a negative-feedback regulator of the circadian clock. By DNA mobility shift assay, we showed that the AST2-RACK1 complex will interfere with the binding between BMAL1 and CLK and inhibit the E-box binding activity of the complex BMAL1-CLK. Finally, we demonstrate by gene knockdown that AST2 is necessary for melatonin-induced inhibition of the complex formation between BMAL1 and CLK during the dark period. In summary, we provide evidence that melatonin regulates AST2 expression and thereby affects the core clock of the crustacean brain. This process may be very important in all animals that have AST2 molecules, i.e. spiders, ticks, crustaceans, scorpions, several insect groups such as Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Blattodea, but not Diptera and Coleoptera. Our findings further reveal an ancient evolutionary role for the prokineticin superfamily protein that links melatonin to direct regulation of the core clock gene feedback loops., This article has been retracted.See: Retraction: Astakine 2—the Dark Knight Linking Melatonin to Circadian Regulation in Crustaceans, published April 27, 2015, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005222