An overview on Pregnancy Associated Glycoproteins in Cattle and Buffalo

Abstract

Accurate pregnancy detection is one of the prime requisites in reproductive management of domestic animals as it indirectly depicts fertility of the animal. Early pregnancy detection in animals is important so as to monitor reproductive losses. Though hormonal profiling of progesterone is an important method of pregnancy detection in domestic species; it usually results in false positivity. Pregnancy marker(s), which is embryo specific and depicts presence and viability of the embryo, should be considered ideal candidate for developing pregnancy diagnostics. Pregnant Associated Glycoproteins (PAGs) are potential biomarker in early pregnancy in cattle and buffalo. They belong to the aspartic proteinase family but proteolytically inactive due to key mutations. In this review, the scope and prospects of pregnancy associated glycoproteins as potential pregnancy biomarkers in cattle and buffalo species, is discussed.