Molecular characterization of the ovine interleukin 2 (IL-2) gene

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) plays an important part in the specific and non-specif ic cellular immune response and therefore is a candidate gene for resistanc e to infectious diseases. PCR-primers were designed to amplify genomic DNA fragments for sequence and structure analysis which should contain exons, i ntrons and parts of 5' and 3'UTR of the ovine IL-2 gene. A SSCP-polymorphis m has been found in a 501 base pair fragment of the gene and could be demon strated in Merinolandschaf, Rhonschaf, Romanov and Graue Gehomte Heidschnuc ke. The causative mutation was identified as silent A/G substitution st pos ition 117 of exon 1.