Interleukin 9: a candidate gene for asthma.
Asthma is a complex heritable inflammatory disorder of the airways associated with clinical signs of atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Recent studies localized a major gene for asthma to chromosome 5q31-q33 in humans. Thus, this segment of the genome represents a candidate region for genes that determine susceptibility to bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy in animal models. Homologs of candidate genes on human chromosome 5q31-q33 are found in four regions in the mouse genome, two on chromosome 18, and one each on chromosomes 11 and 13. We assessed bronchial responsiveness as a quantitative trait in mice and found it linked to chromosome 13. Interleukin 9 (IL-9) is located in the linked region and was analyzed as a gene candidate. The expression of IL-9 was markedly reduced in bronchial hyporesponsive mice, and the level of expression was determined by sequences within the qualitative trait locus (QTL). These data suggest a role for IL-9 in the complex pathogenesis of bronchial hyperresponsiveness as a risk factor for asthma.
Nicolaides
N C
NC
Magainin Institute of Molecular Medicine, Magainin Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA.
Holroyd
K J
KJ
Ewart
S L
SL
Eleff
S M
SM
Kiser
M B
MB
Dragwa
C R
CR
Sullivan
C D
CD
Grasso
L
L
Zhang
L Y
LY
Messler
C J
CJ
Zhou
T
T
Kleeberger
S R
SR
Buetow
K H
KH
Levitt
R C
RC
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D016906:Interleukin-9 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010641:Phenotype; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D016906:Interleukin-9; D012333:RNA, Messenger