Gene expression and tissue distribution of β-defensins in Chinese Min pigs and Landrace pigs

Abstract

Jiao W., Ma Q., Lv X., Shan A., Li Z. (2017): Gene expression and tissue distribution of β-defensins in Chinese Min pigs and Landrace pigs. Czech J. Anim. Sci., 62,[178][179][180][181][182][183] β-Defensins are a major group of mammalian antimicrobial peptides and play an important role in innate and adaptive immunity due to their antimicrobial, chemotactic, and regulatory activities. In this study, the tissue distribution of porcine β-defensin (pBD-1, pBD-2, and pBD-3) gene expression was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction in 14-day-old Chinese Min pigs and Landrace pigs. The results showed that in the two breeds, pBD-1 and pBD-2 were primarily expressed in the tongue and kidney, respectively. The pBD-3 genes in Min pigs and Landrace pigs were abundant in the heart and tongue respectively. The mRNA expression levels of the three peptide genes in most tissues were much higher in Min pigs than in Landrace pigs. Collectively, higher defensin gene expressions were observed in some organs and tissues of Min pigs, presumably related to their higher resistance to disease.

Expression patterns of GHRL, GHSR, LEP, LEPR, SST and CCK genes in the gastrointestinal tissues of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs

“…Our experimental results have shown that the transcriptional abundance of GHRL, LEP and their receptor genes, as well as SST and CCK, was influenced by age and tissue type, and the expression levels varied considerably between TP and YP. Previous research on β-defensins and Toll-like receptors 1-10 revealed similar expression patterns in different tissues of pigs (Qi et al 2009;Uddin et al 2013;Jiao et al 2017).…”

Emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant foodborne pathogens from farm to table

“…coli , and Bacillus subtilis and relieve intestinal inflammation and diarrhea in pigs (Holani et al, 2016 ). β-defensin plays an essential role in innate and adaptive immunity of vertebrates and has inhibitory effects against pathogenic bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria, and enveloped viruses (Auvynet and Rosenstein, 2009 ; Jiao et al, 2017 ). Pigs fed with fodder supplemented with a specific amino acid and cation mixtures showed the increase in expression of β-defensin genes.…”

Significance of Endogenous Antimicrobial Peptides on the Health of Food Animals

“…In vertebrate animals, defensins are classified into three sub-groups, namely α-defensins, β-defensins, and θ-defensins, based on distribution of cysteine residue that forms the disulfide bridges and the length ( 27 ). Defensins produced by cells in the course of innate immune response serve as signals that initiate, mobilize, and amplify adaptive immune host defenses ( 28 ). β-defensins are known to play an essential role in innate and adaptive immunity due to their antimicrobial, chemotactic, and regulatory activities ( 28 ).…”

“…Defensins produced by cells in the course of innate immune response serve as signals that initiate, mobilize, and amplify adaptive immune host defenses ( 28 ). β-defensins are known to play an essential role in innate and adaptive immunity due to their antimicrobial, chemotactic, and regulatory activities ( 28 ). β- defensins exert inhibitory effects on pathogenic bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria, and enveloped viruses , particularly by creating pores on the microbial membrane surface to increase cellular permeability ( 29 ).…”

“…The synthesis and secretion of AMPs is triggered by molecules such as cytokines, lipopolysaccharide, β-glucans, and bacterial DNA that signal the presence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms ( 31 ). Expression of β-defensins is prevalent in the tissues that control the immune system, such as the spleen, thymus, and lymph node ( 28 ). Certain nutrients such as isoleucine, arginine, glucose, Ca 2+ , and zinc are able to regulate the expression and synthesis of β-defensins ( 31 – 33 ).…”