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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318683
Title: Molecular cloning, characterization and mRNA expression of duck interleukin-17F

Author
item KIM, WOO - Gyeongsang National University
item FERNANDEZ, CHERRY - Gyeongsang National University
item DIAZ, ANNE - Gyeongsang National University
item JEONG, JIPSEOL - Gyeongsang National University
item KIM, SUK - Gyeongsang National University
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item CHANG, HONG - Gyeongsang National University
item MIN, WONGI - Gyeongsang National University

Submitted to: Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2015
Publication Date: 2/25/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61644
Citation: Kim, W.H., Fernandez, C.P., Diaz, A.R., Jeong, J., Kim, S., Lillehoj, H.S., Chang, H.H., Min, W. 2015. Molecular cloning, characterization and mRNA expression of duck interleukin-17F. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology. 164(3-4):194-200.

Interpretive Summary: One of the major proteins that plays an important role in an immune response is called interleukin-17F or IL-17F, in short. The IL-17 family of proteins plays important roles in host defense against a variety of pathogens by inducing the necessary early immune responses that decrease damage to the gut upon the invasion of pathogens. Although the duck is an important avian species for food production, there is very little information on duck proteins that are involved in the immune response. In this paper, ARS scientists collaborated with scientists at a Korean university to clone and characterize the duck form of the protein to develop a broader understanding of the function of IL-17 protein in bird species. The results showed that the duck form of IL-17 induces an inflammatory response that is critical in the initiation of host’s immune response against pathogens. The availability of detailed molecular information on duck IL-17 will allow for a better understanding of how these proteins mediate the host’s immune response in bird species, including duck.

Technical Abstract: Interleukin-17F (IL-17F) is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in gut homeostasis. A full-length duck IL-17F (duIL-17F) cDNA with a 501-bp coding region was identified in ConA-activated splenic lymphocytes. duIL-17F is predicted to encode 166 amino acids, including a 26-amino acid signal peptide, a single N-linked glycosylation site, and six cysteine residues that are conserved in mammalian IL-17. duIL-17F shares 77.5% amino acid sequence identity with chicken IL-17F (chIL-17F), 37-46% with corresponding mammalian homologues, and 53.5% with the previously described duck IL-17A (duIL-17A). The duIL-17F transcripts were expressed in a wide range of untreated tissues; levels were highest in the liver and moderate in the thymus, bursa, kidney, and intestinal tissues. Expression levels of duIL-17F transcript were slightly up-regulated in ConA- and LPS-activated splenic lymphocytes but not in poly I:C stimulated cells. Recombinant duIL-17F, like duIL-17A, induced IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8 expression in duck embryonic fibroblasts (DEFs). duIL-17A, but not duIL-17F expression, was significantly up-regulated in the liver and spleen of Salmonella Typhimurium-infected ducks. Further analysis of the contributions of IL-17F to different Salmonella spp. or other disease models will be required to expand our understanding of its biological functions.