Abstract
The glutathione-S-transferase (GST) superfamily includes seven classes, and different classes have different functions. GST superfamily members function in various processes including detoxification of xenobiotics, protection against oxidative damage, and intracellular transport of hormones, endogenous metabolites, and exogenous chemicals. Herein, to elucidate the tissue-specific expression pattern of GSTs in response to hypoxia stress, which induces cell death, we investigated the expression of GSTs in response to hypoxia and reoxygenation in oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense. Full-length cDNAs of two δ class GSTs were cloned from the hepatopancreas, and named MnGST-1 and MnGST-2 based on the established GST nomenclature system. Expression profiles of both GSTs in various tissues were different under acute and chronic experimental hypoxia stress conditions, suggesting that both respond strongly to hypoxia-induced oxidative stress. However, the intensity of responses to hypoxia and reoxygenation were different in different tissues. During acute hypoxia stress, MnGST-1 responds earlier than MnGST-2 in the hepatopancreas and gill, but more slowly in muscle. By contrast, during chronic hypoxia stress, MnGST-2 plays a more important role in the hepatopancreas and gill than MnGST-1.