title: The complete cDNA sequences of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 AND IL-10 from the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
abstract: The cDNAs for four rabbit cytokine genes [interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10] have been cloned from primary lymphocytes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. IL-2 and IL-10 are both highly conserved between rabbit and other species. IL-4 and IL-6 are less strongly conserved, at both nucleotide and amino acid levels, and exhibit structural differences. An extension of the coding region of rabbit IL-6 relative to all other reported IL-6 genes results from a mutation in the usual stop codon which allows translation to continue for a further 27 amino acids. Analysis of IL-6 from four other lagomorph species suggests that this mutation is specific to the European rabbit. Sequence and structural differences of IL-4 and IL-6, while presumably not altering function, may render them highly species-specific. Several alternatively spliced variants of IL-2 and IL-4 are also reported.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. Harvey.Perkins@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4