Disease relevance of GAL1

• Alignment of the sequence of a 5.9-kb region of the genome revealed that sequence identities among Gal1, Gal2, and canarypox viruses were clustered in discrete regions [1].
• Analyses of Five gallinacin genes and the Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis response in poultry [2].
• The most virulent isolant was DPI-1, causing focal to massive hepatic necrosis with hemorrhage, while Tipton (Conn), Tipton (Purdue), GAL-1, and DPI-2 isolants were considered less pathogenic and produced only mild focal hepatic necrosis [3].
• The expression of GAL-1, -7, and -12 in the theca layer of the third largest follicles was increased in response to LPS at a dose of 1 mg/kg body weight and this increase was induced within 3 h and maintained until 12h postinjection [4].

High impact information on GAL1

• Among the five gallinacin genes evaluated, the Gal3 and Gal7 SNPs in broiler sires were found to be associated with antibody production after S. enterica serovar Enteritidis vaccination [2].
• Gallinacins showed primary sequence homology to the recently delineated beta-defensin family, heretofore found only in the respiratory epithelial cells and neutrophils of cattle, suggesting that beta-defensins originated at least 250 million years ago, before avian and mammalian lineages diverged [5].
• The gallinacin genes clustered on chromosome 3 of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) genome encode a group of cationic antimicrobial peptides characteristic of the beta-defensins [6].
• Neither Gal 4 nor Gal 9 expression was induced in the chicken small intestine in response to the oral Salmonella infection [6].
• These included pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (IL-1beta, IL-8, K203), antibacterial beta-defensins, Gallinacin 1 and 2, and presenilin 1 [7].

Biological context of GAL1

• This resulted in the possible recruitment of bone marrow-derived heterophils as demonstrated by elevation of beta-defensin gene expression [7].
• Here we report the discovery of two novel chicken beta-defensins, gallinacin (Gal)-11 and Gal-12, found by hidden Markov model profile searching of the chicken genome [8].
• These chicken beta-defensin genes, designated as Gallinacin 1-13, are clustered densely within a 86-Kb distance on the chromosome 3q3.5-q3 [9].
• A genome-wide screen identifies a single beta-defensin gene cluster in the chicken: implications for the origin and evolution of mammalian defensins [9].

Anatomical context of GAL1

• Effects of age, egg-laying activity, and Salmonella-inoculation on the expressions of gallinacin mRNA in the vagina of the hen oviduct [10].
• Elevated levels of GAL-1, -7, and -12 expression in theca in response to LPS suggest that the theca cells expressing these GALs function to eliminate LPS-containing bacteria [4].
• The aim of this study was to identify the types of gallinacin genes (GALs) expressed in ovarian follicles and to determine the changes in their expression during follicular growth and in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) [4].

Associations of GAL1 with chemical compounds

• Beta-defensins are a family of antimicrobial peptides characterized by six cysteine residues forming beta-defensin motifs that are also found in bovine, ovine, pig, and human [11].

References