Lactoferrin (Lf) has been involved in diverse type of cellular activities and its biochemical properties are species specific. Lf is a bilobal molecule in which each lobe binds with one Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ion. A lot of physiological effects of Lf are regulated by its iron binding and release properties; however these properties are species-specific. To understand the iron-binding, thermal stability and cytotoxic effect of buffalo Lf (buLf) and contribution of individual N- and C-terminal lobes therein, buLf and the truncated monoferric lobes were expressed in Kluyveromyces lactis or Pichia pastoris yeast expression systems. The iron-uptake/release behavior and thermal stability of recombinant buLf was observed similar to the Lf purified from buffalo milk. Supplementation of recombinant buLf to the buffalo mammary epithelial cells (BuMEC) culture decreased their proliferation and the cell viability in a dose dependent manner. The cell growth decreased by 37% at 1.0 mg/ml Lf. C-lobe decreased the viability of BuMEC by 15% at 1 mg/ml. The C-lobe showed greater cytotoxic effect against BuMEC in comparison to N-lobe. buLf caused a reduced expression of the casein in BuMEC. At 1.0 mg/ml of buLf, CSN2 transcript level was reduced by 74% and 78% in the normal and hormone free media, respectively. The expression of IL-1β gene in BuMEC increased by 4–5 fold in the presence of 1.0 mg/ml of Lf. The effect was similar to that observed in the involutory mammary gland, suggesting the role of elevated level of Lf in remodeling of buffalo mammary tissue during involution.

乳铁蛋白（Lf）已参与多种类型的细胞活动，其生化特性是物种特异性的。Lf是一个双叶分子，其中每个叶与一个Fe ²⁺ / Fe ³⁺离子结合。Lf的许多生理作用受其铁结合和释放特性的调节；但是，这些属性是特定于物种的。为了了解水牛Lf（buLf）的铁结合，热稳定性和细胞毒性作用以及其中的N和C末端单个叶的贡献，在乳酸克鲁维酵母或巴斯德毕赤酵母中表达了buLf和截短的单铁叶酵母表达系统。观察到重组buLf的铁摄取/释放行为和热稳定性类似于从水牛乳中纯化的Lf。向水牛乳腺上皮细胞（BuMEC）培养物中补充重组buLf以剂量依赖性方式降低了它们的增殖和细胞活力。在1.0 mg / ml Lf下，细胞生长下降了37％。C瓣在1 mg / ml下将BuMEC的活力降低了15％。与N瓣相比，C瓣对BuMEC表现出更大的细胞毒性作用。buLf导致酪蛋白在BuMEC中的表达减少。在buLf 1.0 mg / ml的情况下，正常和无激素培养基的CSN2转录水平分别降低了74％和78％。在1.0 mg / ml的Lf存在下，BuMEC中IL-1β基因的表达增加了4-5倍。