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

Abstract

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.