title: Characterisation and expression profile of the bovine cathelicidin gene repertoire in mammary tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cathelicidins comprise a major group of host-defence peptides. Conserved across a wide range of species, they have several functions related to host defence. Only one cathelicidin has been found in humans but several cathelicidin genes occur in the bovine genome. We propose that these molecules may have a protective role against mastitis. The aim of this study was to characterise the cathelicidin gene-cluster in the bovine genome and to identify sites of expression in the bovine mammary gland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bioinformatic analysis of the bovine genome (BosTau7) revealed seven protein-coding cathelicidin genes, CATHL1-7, including two identical copies of CATHL4, as well as three additional putative cathelicidin genes, all clustered on the long arm of chromosome 22. Six of the seven protein-coding genes were expressed in leukocytes extracted from milk of high somatic cell count (SCC) cows. CATHL5 was expressed across several sites in the mammary gland, but did not increase in response to Staphylococcus aureus infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, we characterise the bovine cathelicidin gene cluster and reconcile inconsistencies in the datasets of previous studies. Constitutive cathelicidin expression in the mammary gland suggests a possible role for these host defence peptides its protection.
authors: Cormac J
authors: CJ
authors: Whelehan
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Barry-Reidy
authors: Kieran G
authors: KG
authors: Meade
authors: P David
authors: PD
authors: Eckersall
authors: Aspinas
authors: A
authors: Chapwanya
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Narciandi
authors: Andrew T
authors: AT
authors: Lloyd
authors: Comparative Immunology Group, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. cliona.ofarrelly@tcd.ie.
authors: Cliona
authors: C
authors: O'Farrelly
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D008390:Markov Chains; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D059467:Transcriptome; D054804:Cathelicidins
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054804:Cathelicidins