Genomic Analysis and mRNA Expression of Equine Type I Interferon Genes

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying all of the type I interferon (IFN) genes of the horse and at monitoring their expression in equine cells on in vitro induction. We identified 32 putative type I IFN loci on horse chromosome 23 and an unplaced genomic scaffold. A phylogentic analysis characterized these into 8 different type I IFN classes, that is, putative functional genes for 6 IFN-, 4 IFN-, 8 IFN- (plus 4 pseudogenes), 3 IFN- (plus 1 pseudogene), 1 IFN- and 1 IFN-, plus 1 IFN- pseudogene, and 3 loci belonging to what has previously been called IFN-. Our analyses indicate that the IFN- genes are quite distinct from both IFN- and IFN-, and we refer to this type I IFN as IFN-. Results from cell cultures showed that leukocytes readily expressed IFN-, IFN-, IFN-, IFN-, and IFN- mRNA on induction with, for example, live virus; while fibroblasts only expressed IFN- mRNA on stimulation. IFN- or IFN- expression was not consistently induced in these cell cultures. Thus, the equine type I IFN family comprised 8 classes, 7 of which had putative functional genes, and mRNA expression of 5 was induced in vitro. Moreover, a relatively low number of IFN- subtypes was found in the horse compared with other eutherian mammals.

Published in

Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research
2013, volume: 33, number: 12, pages: 746-759
Publisher: MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC

SLU Authors

• Morrison, David

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jir.2012.0130

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/55142