Abstract
Wide spread and indiscriminate use of antibiotics is accompanied by the emergence of microorganism that are resistant to these agents. Therefore, new approaches are required to address the problem of antimicrobial resistance. Epithelial linings of living organisms are the source of various antimicrobial peptides. Keeping this in view, the present experiment was designed to characterize one of the important natural antimicrobial peptide gene, that is, cathelicidin gene from the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) uterine epithelium and explored its potency for use as template for synthesis of novel antimicrobial agents. Total RNA was isolated from epithelial layer of buffalo uterus and reverse transcribed using designed primers. The amplified PCR product was purified and cloned. Positive clone was sequenced and result was analysed using laser gene software (DNA Star, USA). The cDNA of uterus cathelicidin had 516 bases with complete ORF from 6-452 bp. The predicted pre-propeptide comprised of 148 amino acids. Mature active peptide had 18 amino acids and had five each of arginine and tryptophan and four proline residues. From this study, it can be concluded that the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) uterus expressed a potent antimicrobial peptide and amino acid sequence of mature peptide can be used as template for synthesis of novel antimicrobial agents. Key words: Antimicrobial peptide, buffalo, cationic peptide and cathelicidin. 
Highlights
The availability of complete genome sequences and development of information technology have provided a greater opportunity for peptide based drug designing
The ORF region of buffalo uterus and testis (Accession No DQ832665) cathelicidin differs by 18 nucleotides at 8, 20, 25, 26, 28, 84, 108, 147, 179, 183, 186, 203, 276, 277, 284, 377, 416 and 436
The signal sequence of uterine cathelicidin comprised of 1-29 hydrophobic stretch of amino acid residues and corroborated with other congeners (Storici et al, 1992; Das et al, 2006)
Summary
The availability of complete genome sequences and development of information technology have provided a greater opportunity for peptide based drug designing. The field of structure based drug designing is a rapidly growing area and the exposition of genomic, proteomic and structural information has provided new targets and opportunities for drug lead discovery. There is a need of alternative group of drugs which are active in vivo and are able to act fast and has broad-spectrum activity, do not induce bacterial resistance and have limited or no side effects. Antimicrobial peptides are prevalent throughout the nature as part of the intrinsic defenses of most organisms.
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