E3 ubiquitin ligases, key components of the ubiquitin proteasome system, orchestrate protein degradation through ubiquitylation and profoundly impact cellular biology. Small HERC E3 ligases (HERC3-6) have diverse functions in mammals, including roles in spermatogenesis, protein degradation, and immunity. Until now, only mammals' HERC3, HERC5, and HERC6 are known to participate in immune responses, with major involvement in the antiviral response. Interestingly, an exclusive HERC7 has been characterized in fish showing great molecular conservation and antiviral roles. Thus, this study identifies and characterizes the herc7 gene in the European sea bass teleost. The European sea bass herc7 gene and the putative protein show good conservation of the promoter binding sites for interferons and the RCC1 and HECT domains characteristic of HERC proteins, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis shows a unique cluster with the fish-exclusive HERC7 orthologues. During ontogeny, the herc7 gene is expressed from 3 days post-fertilization onwards, being constitutively and widely distributed in adult tissues. In vitro, stimulated leucocytes up-regulate the herc7 gene in response to mitogens and viruses, pointing to a role in the immune response. Furthermore, sea bass herc7 expression is related to the interferon response intensity and viral load in different tissues upon in vivo infection with red-grouper betanodavirus (RGNNV), suggesting the potential involvement of fish HERC7 in ISGylation-based antiviral activity, similarly to mammalian HERC5. This study broadens the understanding of small HERC proteins in fish species and highlights HERC7 as a potential contributor to the immune response in European sea bass, with implications for antiviral defense mechanisms. Future research is needed to unravel the precise actions and functions of HERC7 in teleost fish immunity, providing insights into direct antiviral activity and viral evasion.
Keywords: European sea bass; HERC proteins; HERC7; antiviral response; betanodavirus.