Production of prochymosin, pepsinogen and progastricsin, and their cellular and intracellular localization in bovine abomasal mucosa

Abstract

A brief overview of research is presented on the production, cellular and intracellular localization of prochymosin, pepsinogen and progastricsin in bovine abomasal mucosa from fetus to adult. Prochymosin is produced early during gestation (10th week) and is significantly related to milk-feeding. Pepsinogen and progastricsin start to be produced later during gestation (20th week) and are produced in low amounts as long as the calf is fed milk. With age, pepsinogen becomes the dominating zymogen in the abomasal mucosa. Most of the cell types in the fundic gland have the ability to produce all three zymogens and are also found in the same individual secretory granules of these cells.