Isolation and characterization of a novel inducible mammalian galectin

A novel mammalian galectin cDNA (ovgal11) was isolated by representational difference analysis from sheep stomach (abomasal) tissue infected with the nematode parasite, Haemonchus contortus. The mRNA is greatly up-regulated i n helminth larval infected gastrointestinal tissue subject to inflammation and eosinophil infiltration. Immunohistological analysis indicates that the protein is localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus of upper epithelial cell s of the gastrointestinal tract. The protein is also detected in mucus samp les collected from infected abomasum but not from uninfected tissue. The re stricted and inducible expression of ovgal11 mRNA and limited secretion of the protein support the hypothesis that OVGAL11 may be involved in gastroin testinal immune/inflammatory responses and possibly protection against infe ction.