Antimicrobial peptides of buffalo and their role in host defenses.

Khangembam Victoria Chanu,Satish Kumar,Dimpal Thakuria

doi:10.14202/vetworld.2018.192-200

Khangembam Victoria Chanu, Satish Kumar + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2018.192-200

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Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are highly conserved components of the innate immune system found among all classes of life. Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), an important livestock for milk and meat production, is known to have a better resistance to many diseases as compared to cattle. They are found to express many AMPs such as defensins, cathelicidins, and hepcidin which play an important role in neutralizing the invading pathogens. Buffalo AMPs exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Similar to its natural form, synthetic analogs of buffalo AMPs are also antimicrobial against bacteria and even fungus making them a good target for the development of therapeutic antimicrobials. In addition to its antimicrobial effect, AMPs have been demonstrated to have a number of immunomodulatory functions, and their genes are responsive to infections. Further, induction of their gene expression by external factors may help in preventing infectious diseases. This review briefly discusses the AMPs of buffalo identified to date and their possible role in innate immunity.

Highlights

Domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a major milk-producing animal in several countries and a significant contributor in global milk production
Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), an important livestock for milk and meat production, is known to have a better resistance to many diseases as compared to cattle. They are found to express many Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as defensins, cathelicidins, and hepcidin which play an important role in neutralizing the invading pathogens
Similar to its natural form, synthetic analogs of buffalo AMPs are antimicrobial against bacteria and even fungus making them a good target for the development of therapeutic antimicrobials

Summary

Introduction

Domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a major milk-producing animal in several countries and a significant contributor in global milk production (http://www.fao.org). It was reported that buffalo polymorphonuclear cells contain an array of antimicrobial proteins and peptides which play a significant role in the immune defensive system [1]. Defensins comprise an important family of AMPs. They are small (29-45 amino acid residues) cationic peptides that contain six conserved cysteine residues, which form three disulfide bonds [17].

Results

Conclusion