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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #129848
Title: MOLECULAR AND FUNTIONAL COMPARISON OF CHICKEN CYTOKINES HOMOLOGOUS TO MAMMALIAN IL-2 AND IL-15

Author
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item CHOI, K - IDRL, ANRI, ARS
item WIN, W - IDRL, ANRI, ARS
item BABU, U - FDA
item BURNSIDE, J - UNIV. OF DELAWARE
item MIYAMOTO, T - IDRL, ANRI, ARS

Submitted to: Avian Immunology Research Group Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/28/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Full-length cDNA encoding chicken IL-15 designated as pc3.1/5101, was isolated from chicken liver cDNA library and additional sequences were obtained using 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The full-length chicken IL-15 cDNA contains an open reading frame of 187 amino acids with a single potential N-linked glycosylation site. The predicted protein sequence shows similarities of 55%, 53% and 52% with mouse, human and bovine IL-15 sequences, respectively. The pc3.1/5101 has total 699 bp including the 561 bp open reading frame with a predicted m.w. of 21, 964 kDa. Chicken IL-15 contains all 4 highly conserved cysteine residues present in mammalian IL- 15 sequences, including 2 upstream AUGs of the 5' UTR. Recombinant chicken IL-15 (rchIL-15) was expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems and their tissue distribution, molecular, biochemical and functional characterizations were compared to the chicken IL-2. Northern blotting analysis demonstrated that the chicken IL-15 gene is expressed in many tissues including liver, cecal tonsil, muscle, heart, intestine and spleen whereas IL-2 was only expressed in the concanavalin-A (Con A)- stimulated spleen cells. Collectively, these results indicate that the pc3.1/5101 gene represents an avian homologue of mammalian IL-15.