A complete prostaglandin pathway from synthesis to inactivation in the oral gland of the jawless vertebrate lamprey, Lethenteron camtschaticum

Information on the prostaglandin pathway in lampreys is limited. Here, five genes related to the prostaglandin pathway from synthesis to inactivation, namely, phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandin E synthase 3, prostaglandin D synthase, and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase [NAD(+)], were screened and cloned from the lamprey, Lethenteron camtschaticum. Bioinformatic analysis showed that these lamprey genes are relatively conserved with teleost genes in domains, motifs, gene structure and 3D structure. Analysis of expression distribution of the genes in lamprey tissues revealed that a complete prostaglandin pathway from synthesis to inactivation exists in the oral gland of lamprey, especially the key gene of prostaglandin synthesis cyclooxygenase-2, which was highly expressed in the oral gland. Furthermore, cyclooxygenase-2 expression increased after LPS and Poly I:C stimulations. Using our established spatial metabolite database LampreyDB, six prostaglandin-related metabolites were screened from the oral gland of lamprey, four of which were highly expressed in the oral gland. This study provides new insights into prostaglandin synthesis and inactivation pathways in lamprey, thereby improving our understanding of the origin and evolution of the prostaglandin pathway and contributing to the recognition of lamprey regulatory mechanisms in development and immunity.