EXPRESSION OF RECOMBINANT RAT INTERLEUKIN-13 (IL-13) AND GENERATION OF A NEUTRALIZING RAT IL-13 ANTISERUM

Using baculoviral and bacterial systems, we expressed biologically act ive recombinant rat IL-13 and generated neutralizing rat IL-13 antiser um, Recombinant rat IL-13 produced by baculovirus-infected insect cell s stimulated proliferation of TF-1 premyeloid cell line and induced ex pression of 15-lipoxygenase mRNA in human peripheral blood monocytes, Antiserum generated by immunizing a rabbit with recombinant bacterial rat IL-13 specifically inhibited TF-1 proliferation induced by baculov iral rat IL-13 but did not neutralize human IL-13 mitogenic activity. Western blotting with anti-rat IL-13 serum revealed a similar to 12 kD protein band in supernatants of insect cells infected with recombinan t baculovirus carrying the rat IL-13 cDNA. The availability of recombi nant rat IL-13 and rat IL-13 antibodies should facilitate studying the role of IL-13 in rat models of human inflammatory disorders. (C) 1997 Academic Press.