Cloning and expression of the cervine interleukin 4 gene

Interleukin 4 (IL-4), a cytokine produced by the T helper 2 subset of T lymphocytes is involved in up regulating antibody responses. A source of recombinant cervine IL-4 would be useful for studying the immune response of deer to tuberculosis. We report here the cloning, sequencing and expression of recombinant cervine IL-4. To achieve this mRNA was isolated from red deer (Cervus elaphus) mononuclear leucocytes. First strand cDNA was synthesized from the mRNA and the IL-4 cDNA was amplified, cloned and sequenced. The IL-4 cDNA is 408 bp in length and the deduced amino acid sequence is 92% homologous with the published bovine IL-4 amino acid sequence. IL-4 was expressed using the baculovirus expression system in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells. Northern blot, SDS-PAGE analysis and bioassay were used to confirm the expression of IL-4.