title: Sequencing, chromosomal mapping, and functional characterization of bovine FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP).
abstract: FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP) has been shown in both humans and mice to inhibit apoptosis and NF-kappaB activation induced by pro-inflammatory mediators. The activation of NF-kappaB and the induction of apoptosis are critical events in the pathogenesis of a variety of disease states in cattle, including mastitis. Since FLIP is known to moderate these events in other species, we mapped the bovine FLIP gene, sequenced bovine FLIP cDNA, and characterized its expression in cultured primary bovine endothelial cells. Sequencing of bovine FLIP revealed approximately 83, 74, and 68% amino acid sequence identity to its porcine, human, and murine orthologs, respectively. Bovine FLIP was mapped to chromosome 2 by radiation hybrid mapping. Interestingly the region to which bovine FLIP maps contains a putative quantitative trait locus for functional herd life which is an indicator of a cow's ability to survive involuntary culling due primarily to mastitis and infertility. In addition to sequencing and mapping, the function of bovine FLIP was studied. Over-expression of bovine FLIP protected against bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in bovine endothelial cells consistent with previous studies of human FLIP. In addition, elevated expression of bovine FLIP blocked LPS- and TNF-alpha-induced upregulation of NF-kappaB-dependent gene products as assayed by E-selectin expression. Only the full-length bovine FLIP protein could inhibit NF-kappaB activation induced by LPS, whereas the death effector domain region alone was able to inhibit TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation. Together, these data demonstrate the conservation of FLIP's ability to inhibit apoptosis and to downregulate NF-kappaB activation across species.
authors.affiliation: Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Szperka
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Paape
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bannerman
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins