Recent studies have demonstrated that preen oil acts to reduce or eliminate feather‐associated bacteria. The mechanisms underlying this antibacterial activity, however, are incompletely understood. In addition to the activity of alcohols (i.e. 3,7‐dimethyloctan‐1‐ol), recent research has suggested that antimicrobial peptides may underlie the antibacterial activity of preen oil. Here, we document the presence of innate and adaptive immune proteins, lysozyme and immunoglobulin Y (IgY), in the preen oil of house sparrows Passer domesticus. We suggest lysozyme functions as an antimicrobial agent, with potentially important impacts against Gram‐positive feather degrading bacteria. Furthermore, both lysozyme and IgY likely act in local immune defence of the preen gland, and may also play a role in regulating the local microbiome, with potentially important consequences for chemical communication and signalling. Our findings suggest that the preen gland and its secretions should be considered an integral part of the body's first line of defence against invading infections.

中文翻译：

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雄性麻雀自体腺分泌物中的先天性和适应性免疫蛋白

最近的研究表明，自装油可减少或消除与羽毛相关的细菌。然而，这种抗菌活性的机制尚不完全清楚。除了醇类（即3,7-二甲基辛烷-1-醇）的活性外，最近的研究表明，抗菌肽可能是preen油的抗菌活性的基础。在这里，我们记录先天和适应性免疫蛋白，溶菌酶Y（IgY抗体）的免疫球蛋白和存在下，在房子的PREEN油麻雀麻雀。我们建议溶菌酶起抗菌剂的作用，对革兰氏阳性羽毛降解细菌具有潜在的重要影响。此外，溶菌酶和IgY都可能在pren腺的局部免疫防御中起作用，并且还可能在调节局部微生物组中发挥作用，对化学交流和信号传递具有潜在的重要影响。我们的发现表明，应将唇腺及其分泌物视为机体抵御感染的第一道防线的有机组成部分。