MOLECULAR CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BETA-CASEIN GENE IN AN INDIAN RIVERINE BUFFALO (BUBALUS BUBALIS)

The present study was carried out to characterize beta-casein cDNA of Indian riverine buffalo. This gene was cloned in plasmid vector and sequenced for molecular characterization of the cDNA. The whole buffalo beta-casein cDNA was 675 bp in length. We have submitted the buffalo cDNA sequences to the NCBI GenBank with the accession number DQ631829. This gene was composed of 23.85% A, 20.59% G, 24.89% T and 30.67% C indicating 48.74% as AT and 51.26% as GC. The similarity of the buffalo cDNA sequence with that of cattle was estimated as 98.08% while with the sequences of other species like sheep, pig, camel, human, rat and rabbit, it was 96.60%. As far as protein sequence is concerned, the similarity of buffalo sequence with its cattle counter part was estimated as 97.30% and with the sequences of all other species studied here, it was calculated as 93.30%. The molecular weight of buffalo beta-casein protein was estimated as 25.105 kDa. The secondary structure composition of buffalo beta-casein protein was prediced as having 14.3% helix (H), 1.3% strand (E) and 83.9% loop (L) whereas solvent accessibility composition was 79.02% of "e" type (residues exposed with more than 16% of their surface) and 20.98% of "b" type (others).