title: Cloning and expression of pigeon IFN-γ gene.
abstract: This is the first paper describing the cloning of pigeon IFN-γ gene (PiIFN-γ) and the analysis of the in vitro expressed recombinant protein. The PiIFN-γ gene was identified by RT-PCR as a 498bp, fragment coding for a precursor protein of 165 amino acids instead of 164 amino acids, as observed in the other avian species. The recombinant protein was expressed in vitro by an eukaryotic system and the biological properties of the cytokine were tested using a chicken macrophage cell line. The high degree of amino acid and nucleotide identity, shared with the ChIFN-γ, and the fact that the pigeon protein was functional on chicken cells, indicates a cross-reactivity between pigeon and chicken IFN-γ. The detection of the PiIFN-γ could represent an useful instrument in understanding the role played by this cytokine in immune response related to vaccinations and infectious diseases in the pigeon.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biopatologiche Veterinarie e Igiene delle Produzioni Animali e Alimentari, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via S. Costanzo 4, 06100 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fringuelli
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urbanelli
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tharuni
authors.forename: Patrizia Casagrande
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bietta
authors.forename: Irit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Franciosini
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D010856:Columbidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D014162:Transfection / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007371:Interferon-gamma