Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA for ovine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)

Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are not only regulators of haemopoiesis but can also enhance the function of mature myeloid cells, and are therefore potential immune adjuvants. By use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers based on the bovine granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) sequence, we have amplified the cDNA for ovine GM-CSF, produced from crude mRNA extracted from alveolar macrophages. The PCR product was cloned into pUC119, and electroporated into Escherichia coli. The complete nucleotide sequence of two clones, and the partial sequence of eight others, was determined. At the nucleotide and amino acid levels, the ovine and bovine GM-CSF sequences are 91% and 81% homologous, respectively.