title: Molecular characterisation and expression analysis of interferon gamma in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).
abstract: Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) has important roles in both innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, the cDNA and genomic sequences of Atlantic cod IFN-gamma were cloned and found to encode a putative protein containing 194 amino acids with a 24 amino acid signal peptide sequence. The gene is composed of four exons and three introns similar to IFN-gamma genes of other vertebrates. The cod IFN-gamma showed only 14-29% amino acid identity with other fish IFN-gamma and 9-17% identity with IFN-gamma from higher vertebrates. However, cod IFN-gamma possesses the typical IFN-gamma motifs in the C-terminal end of the protein and displays an alpha-helix structure similar to mammalian IFN-gamma. The promoter region contains a putative ISRE element indicating up-regulation by type I IFNs and dsRNA. Real time RT-PCR analysis confirmed that IFN-gamma gene expression was up-regulated in organs of cod injected with the dsRNA polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), which is a strong inducer of type I IFNs. Injection of cod with formalin-killed Vibrio anguillarum also increased IFN-gamma expression in head kidney, but to a much lesser extent than poly I:C. The gene expression results thus indicate a role for IFN-gamma in innate immune response against both virus and bacteria in Atlantic cod.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biotechnology, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furnes
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seppola
authors.forename: Børre
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Robertsen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D048389:Gadus morhua / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D023061:Gene Order; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011485:Protein Binding; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma