Cloning and sequencing of an ovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor cDNA

A cDNA encoding an ovine (ov) granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was cloned by polymerase chain reaction, using primers based on the 5' and 3' nucleotide (nt) sequence of the bovine (bov) G-CSF cDNA. RNA was isolated from IFN-gamma and LPS-stimulated alveolar macrophages. The isolated ovG-CSF cDNA is 522 bp in length and does not include coding sequence for a secretory signal peptide. The nt sequence is 95% identical to the bovG-CSF nt sequence, and includes conservation of 5 cysteine residues. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence of the mature ovG-CSF protein shares 96%, 82% and 68% homology with the bov, human and murine mature G-CSF proteins, respectively. The estimated molecular weight of the 174 aa G-CSF protein is 18.8 kilodaltons.