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              Research
                            
              
                            
                            6.  
                            Molecular 
                            characterization of lingual antimicrobial peptide in 
                            the female reproductive tract of buffalo - Dhanya Joseph, Tukaram More
                            Vet World. 2011; 4(3): 120-123
              
              
               
              
              
              doi: 
              10.5455/vetworld.2011.120-123
              
              
               
              
              
              
   
 
              
               
               
               
              
              
              Abstract
              
                            
                            
                            Bubalus bubalis (Ruminantia: Bovidae, Bovinae) is an 
                            economically important animal of many Asian 
                            countries, making significant contribution to milk 
                            and meat production. Sub clinical infection of the 
                            reproductive tract is one of the important causes 
                            for reduced reproductive efficiency in dairy herd of 
                            buffaloes. Antimicrobial peptides are component of 
                            innate immune system which helps in augmenting the 
                            resistance to infection at epithelial surfaces e.g 
                            reproductive tract epithelium. In this study we have 
                            identified a ß-defensin called Lingual Antimicrobial 
                            Peptide (LAP) in buffalo reproductive tract. 
                            Interestingly the gene was 100 % identical to the 
                            LAP isolated from the tongue epithelium of Bos 
                            taurus. The 195 bp cDNA of LAP codes for 64 amino 
                            acids and of which 50% are cationic amino acids. 
                            Phylogenetic studies indicate that LAP of 
                            reproductive epithelium of buffalo is different from 
                            other beta defensins isolated from the various 
                            tissues of same species, but all beta defensin were 
                            found to have the same progenitor gene. It is 
                            concluded that buffalo reproductive tract epithelium 
                            lining contains LAP. 
              
                            
              Keywords: Antimicrobial 
                            Peptide, Reproduction, Buffalo, Milk Production, 
                            Meat Production, Amino acid.