Wang Hongyu, Shu Yujing, Momotani Yuriko, Wang Xiaofei, Mori Yasuyuki, Momotani Eiichi
Research Team for Paratuberculosis, National Institute of Animal Health, 3-1-5 Kan-nondai, Tsukuba 305-0856, Japan.
Microbes Infect. 2007 Jul;9(9):1061-9. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2007.04.017. Epub 2007 May 17.
Urocortin (UCN) is a new neuropeptide of the corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) family which plays an important role in immune responses. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) is the etiological agent of paratuberculosis (Johne's disease). The role of UCN or CRH in the pathogenesis of Map-infection is unknown. In the present study, we first cloned the bovine UCN gene and demonstrated the profile of UCN or CRH expression in peripheral blood cells from Map-infected cattle and uninfected controls by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ELISA analysis. These data are the first observations of the characteristic kinetics of these neuropeptides in Map-infection. UCN or CRH expression in non-stimulated blood samples from infected cattle was higher than that in similarly treated samples from uninfected controls; however, exposure to Map lysate and live Map resulted in down-regulated expression of UCN in infected cattle compared to their counterparts from uninfected controls. These results have provided a direction in understanding the pathogenesis of paratuberculosis and improving diagnostic methods for Map-infection.
尿皮质素（UCN）是促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素（CRH）家族的一种新神经肽，在免疫反应中起重要作用。副结核分枝杆菌（Map）是副结核病（约翰氏病）的病原体。UCN或CRH在Map感染发病机制中的作用尚不清楚。在本研究中，我们首先克隆了牛UCN基因，并通过实时逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）和ELISA分析，展示了Map感染牛和未感染对照的外周血细胞中UCN或CRH的表达情况。这些数据是首次观察到这些神经肽在Map感染中的特征动力学。感染牛未刺激血样中UCN或CRH的表达高于未感染对照经类似处理的血样；然而，与未感染对照的对应物相比，感染牛暴露于Map裂解物和活Map后，UCN的表达下调。这些结果为理解副结核病的发病机制和改进Map感染的诊断方法提供了方向。
