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Title: CLONING AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CHICKEN INTERLEUKIN-17D

Author
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item PARK, DONG WOON - VIS SCI, APDL, ARS, USDA
item LEE, SUNG HYEN - POST-DOC, APDL, ARS, USDA
item HAN, JAE YONG - SEOUL NAT UNIV, KOREA
item SHIN, JI HYE - ABII, GYEONGGI-DO, KOREA
item PARK, MYEUNG SUN - CHANGWON NAT UNIV, KOREA
item KIM, JIN-KYOO - CHANGWON NAT UNIV, KOREA

Submitted to: Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2008
Publication Date: 9/2/2008
Citation: Hong, Y.H., Lillehoj, H.S., Park, D., Lee, S., Han, J., Shin, J., Park, M., Kim, J. 2008. Cloning and functional characterization of chicken interleukin-17D. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology. 126(1-2):1-8.

Interpretive Summary: With the completion of human genome sequences and the availability of public genomic databases, a number of homologous proteins comprising an important member of immune genes have been described in poultry. IL-17 family genes including IL-17A , -17B, -17C, -17D, -17E and -17F, as well as their cognate receptors, have no sequence similarity to any other known cytokines or receptors and thus appears to represent a distinct ligand-receptor signaling system and not much is known about these proteins in chickens. Among IL-17d families, IL-17D gene appeared to be most homologous to IL-17B and was preferentially expressed in resting CD4+ T cells, skeletal muscle, brain, pancreas, heart, lung and adipose tissue. IL-17 family members have been linked to many disease processes such as rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary disease, psoriasis, and allograft rejection. ARS scientists previously cloned IL-17A and showed this cytokine is important in coccidiosis. In this study, ARS scientists collaborated with scientists in Korea and cloned chicken IL-17d from a chicken testis cDNA library. The proinflammatory cytokine IL-17D was cloned from a testis cDNA library prepared from the Korean native chicken. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of chIL-17D with homologous proteins from human, mouse and opossum revealed 64%, 53% and 76% and chIL-17D gene transcript was expressed in a wide range of tissues, and highest levels were in pancreas, thymus and lung. Following Eimeria maxima infection, levels of the chIL-17D mRNA were up-regulated in the intestinal jejunum, bursa, lung, and spleen but decreased in the thymus, indicating their role in gut immunity. These results demonstrate for the first time that chicken IL-17D protein has structural and functional similarities to mammalian IL-17Ds and that this cytokine plays an important role in local gut innate immune responses during experimental coccidiosis.

Technical Abstract: The proinflammatory cytokine IL-17D was cloned from a testis cDNA library prepared from the Korean native chicken. The full-length chicken IL-17D (chIL-17D) cDNA consisted of a 348 nucleotide sequence encoding an open reading frame of 116 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 17.0 kDa. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of chIL-17D with homologous proteins from human, mouse and opossum revealed 64%, 53% and 76% identity respectively, including six conserved cysteine residues present in the mammalian polypeptides. The chIL-17D gene transcript was expressed in a wide range of tissues, and highest levels were in pancreas, thymus and lung. Following Eimeria maxima infection, levels of the chIL-17D mRNA were up-regulated in the intestinal jejunum, bursa, lung, and spleen but decreased in the thymus. Infected chickens also expressed greater levels of chIL-17D mRNA in CD4+, CD8+ and TCR1+ intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes while decreased expression was seen in TCR2+ cells. Treatment of CHCC-OU2 fibroblasts with chIL-17D recombinant protein induced the expression of IL-6 and IL-8. Collectively, these results suggest that chL-17D has structural and functional similarities to mammalian IL-17Ds and that it plays an important role in local gut innate immune responses during experimental coccidiosis.