Antimicrobial potential of egg yolk ovoinhibitor, a multidomain Kazal-like inhibitor of chicken egg.
Chicken egg ovoinhibitor is a multidomain Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor with unknown function. Comparison of expression between different tissues indicated that ovoinhibitor is highly expressed in the magnum and liver followed by the uterus, which secrete egg white, egg yolk, and eggshell precursors, respectively. The results also revealed that ovoinhibitor expression is increased in the liver during sexual maturation followed by a subsequent decrease in mature hens. Ovoinhibitor was purified from the egg yolk plasma from nonfertilized eggs using two consecutive affinity chromatographies and gel filtration. Purified egg yolk ovoinhibitor was shown to inhibit trypsin and subtilisin. It was shown that purified egg yolk ovoinhibitor exhibited antimicrobial activities against  Bacillus thuringiensis . The results suggest that this anti-protease plays a significant role in antibacterial egg defense against Bacillus spp., preventing contamination of table eggs (nonfertilized eggs) and protecting the chick embryo (fertilized eggs).
Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, UR83 Recherches Avicoles, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
Marie
M
Bourin
Joël
J
Gautron
Magali
M
Berges
Sylvie
S
Attucci
Gwenaelle
G
Le Blay
Valérie
V
Labas
Yves
Y
Nys
Sophie
S
Rehault-Godbert
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020860:Subtilisin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors; C004224:ovoinhibitor; D020860:Subtilisin