title: Mammary gland expression of antibacterial peptide genes to inhibit bacterial pathogens causing mastitis.
abstract: As a step toward prevention of bovine mastitis, a plasmid-mediated gene transfer technique was used to enable mammary cells to synthesize and secrete bovine lactoferricin and bovine tracheal antibacterial peptides. For this purpose, a series of mammary tissue-specific expression vectors, harboring the antibacterial peptide gene, the 5'-flanking regulation sequence of goat beta-casein, and the bovine growth hormone polyadenylation signal sequence, were constructed using a eukaryotic expression vector pIRES1-neo. The mammary gland tissue-specific expression vector carrying the antimicrobial peptide genes dissolved in physiologic saline was injected directly into the lactating mammary glands of goats. The milk samples after injection were checked by Tricine-SDS-PAGE and bacterium inhibition zone assay. The results of these tests showed that the mammary gland tissue-specific expression vector driven by the goat beta-casein gene promoter could efficiently direct the expression of antibacterial peptides in goat milk; the expression of antibacterial proteins lasted for 3 to 6 d. All of the milk samples collected from the mammary glands that had been injected with different vectors harboring the antibacterial peptide gene(s) exhibited bacteriostatic activity against different bacterial pathogens. These results demonstrated that the mammary gland tissue-specific expression vector could be used to introduce antibacterial peptide gene into the goat mammary gland, enabling secretion of a bioactive form of antibacterial peptide in the milk. This successful expression of antibacterial peptides in goat mammary glands provided a possible method to prevent mastitis in ruminants.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Institute, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1068 Qinglong Road, Changchun 130062, PR China.
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006041:Goats; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D008413:Mastitis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C068629:tracheal antimicrobial peptide, bovine; C082171:lactoferricin B; D007781:Lactoferrin