Urocortin (Ucn) is a second mammalian CRH-related neuropeptide (a Corticotropin-releasing hormone). This neuropeptide is considered to have an immuno-supressive effect via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, but in an inflammation and infectionUcn shows a direct immunostimulatory effect as an autocrine or paracrine inflammatory cytokine in peripheral inflammatory sites and has been shown to promote a local immune response. To investigate the role of Ucn in the pathogenesis of bovine paratuberculosis, we first cloned the bovine Ucn gene (NM_001032301). By using our real-time RT-PCR method, we then demonstrated a specific pattern in the kinetics of the Ucn mRNA expression in periperal blood cells under stimulation with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) antigen. Ucn expression was significantly down-regulated after Map antigen stimulation in infected cattle but not in healthy cattle. The fact could be used to provide a diagnosis method for paratuberculosis. We applied for a patent (patent application number: 2005-291868).
(Research Team for Paratuberculosis, TEL +81-29-838-7781)
