Table-3.

Clusters of β-defensin in cattle (adapted from Meade et al., [24]).

Cluster	Chromosome no.	Genes number(s)	Expressed in tissue/organ(s)	Function(s)
A	Btau 8	4	Unknown	Unknown
B	Btau 13	19	Reproductive tract	In vitro shown to have antimicrobial activity. In vivo not reported
C	Btau 23	5	Unknown	Unknown
D	Btau 27	30	Neutrophils, macrophages and epithelium tissues	Inducible in response to LPS and pathogens such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Association detected between SNPs in these gene(s) with SCC, milk yield, fat, protein lactose, and coat color in Holstein cattle

SNP=Single nucleotide polymorphisms, LPS=Lipopolysaccharide, SCC=Somatic cell count, E. coli=Escherichia coli, S. aureus=Staphylococcus aureus