Isolation of epidermal cells and cDNA cloning of TNF decoy receptor 3 of conger eel, Conger myriaster

By using EDTA and a trypsin solution, we established a method for isolating the epidermal cells of the conger eel, Conger myriaster. We then identified TNF decoy receptor (DcR) cDNA in the species from a suppression subtractive hybridization library prepared from the epidermal cells stimulated with LPS. The full-length cDNA of conger TNF DcR (conDcR) consisted of 1479 base pairs, and the protein comprised 286 amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that conDcR was clustered into a DcR3 branch. ConDcR is likely to act as an important immune-regulating factor in inhibiting the apoptosis-inducing effect of TNF in the skin of conger eel.