Detection and Expression of Genes Involved in Innate and Adaptive Responses in Ruminants

Pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) are known to stimulate immune gene expression. A study was conducted to compare the expression and modulation of genes involved in innate and adaptive responses to bacterial infection and sepsis in three species of ruminants (cow, sheep and goats). Blood was collected from adult, female Holstein Friesian cows, Spanish x Boer goats and St Croix sheep (N=4 from each species). Total RNA was isolated using Trizol, RNA integrity number (RIN) was determined and samples with RIN >7 for each treatment were pooled together and used for cDNA synthesis amplification in PBS samples.

The RT² profiler array was used to assay expression and fold change in 84 genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity in untreated cow blood. Expression of individual genes encoding TLR2, TNFalpha, TLR4 and  Frizzled was evaluated in cow, sheep and goat blood treated with PAMPs. Fold change in transcript abundance was calculated using the Livak method with samples maintained in PBS serving as control. In untreated cow blood 29 genes were expressed. Both plant and pathogen AMPS modulated gene expression in cow sheep and goat blood. Plant AMPs modulate the impact of bacterial AMPS on TLR2 and Frizzled expression. Gene expression and modulation was species specific. Immune gene transcription in ruminant species is variably responsive to different bacteria cell wall components. Such modulation may offer an avenue for the exploitation of plant AMPS to regulate inflammatory response and enhance the cow, goat and sheep immunity.

Keywords: PAMPS, innate and adaptive, immunity