CHARACTERIZATION OF A CDNA-ENCODING BOVINE INTERLEUKIN-10 - KINETICS OF EXPRESSION IN BOVINE LYMPHOCYTES

A cDNA encoding bovine interleukin 10 (IL10) was cloned and sequenced using total cellular RNA derived from concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). A cDNA was produced with r everse transcriptase using oligo(dT) primers, and was amplified using primers chosen from consensus regions of the mouse and human IL10 gene s. The nucleotide sequence derived from this cDNA shares 84, 79 and 78 % homology with the human, mouse and rat cDNAs, respectively. The dedu ced amino-acid sequence shares an overall 77, 71 and 74% homology with the human, mouse and rat IL10 proteins, respectively. Northern blot a nalysis of the bovine IL10 mRNA reveals expression of a single 1.8-kb transcript, reaching maximal levels between 8 and 24 h, in ConA-stimul ated peripheral T-cells, and weak expression in lipopolysaccharide-act ivated macrophages.