Expression profile of toll like receptors in a range of water buffalo tissues (Bubalus bubalis)

The present study was carried out to determine the expression profile of toll-like receptors (TLRs) 1–10 in buffalo peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC), neutrophils, spleen, liver, lung, heart, kidney, ovary and uterus using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with bovine TLR-specific primers The buffalo TLR partial nucleotide sequences had 95–98% nucleotide homology with bovine TLR sequences available in the GenBank. PBMNC expressed all TLRs except TLR1 and neutrophils expressed all TLRs except TLR3. Expression of all TLRs was observed in spleen, lung and liver tissues. Wide range of TLR mRNA expression was observed in heart, which lacked the expression of only TLR10. Among the tissues analyzed kidneys had the least repertoire of TLR expression. The kidney tissue revealed mRNA expression of only TLR2, TLR5, TLR7 and TLR9. Among the reproductive tissues analyzed, uterus expressed a wide range of TLRs such as 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 while ovary expressed all TLRs except TLR1 indicating their immuno competence.