TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification of the mRNA encoding interleukin-6 and its receptor, interleukin-6 receptor α, in five marsupial species
AU - Borthwick, Casey R.
AU - Young, Lauren J.
AU - McAllan, Bronwyn M.
AU - Old, Julie M.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Expressed coding sequences for interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-6 receptor a (IL-6R) were examined in five marsupial species. Full length expressed coding sequences for IL-6 and IL-6R were identified and characterized in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). For IL-6, ~225 bp fragments of the mRNA sequence were identified in the red-tailed phascogale (Phascogale calura), kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), and stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura), while ~563 bp fragments of mRNA encoding IL-6R were identified in the red-tailed phascogale, kultarr, stripe-face dunnart and fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata). Relative expression levels of IL-6 and IL-6R were examined in the heart, muscle, lung, liver, spleen and kidney of adult red-tailed phascogales, and IL-6 gene expression was found to be significantly higher in the lung and spleen than the other tissues examined, while the expression of IL-6R was significantly higher in the liver, lung and spleen. These results now serve as a reference point for examining the role and levels of IL-6 and IL-6R in the health and disease of these marsupial species. The pro-tumorigenic nature of IL-6 is of particular interest, and the identification of these IL-6 and IL-6R coding sequences provides a platform for further work to evaluate the potential role of IL-6 in marsupial cancers.
AB - Expressed coding sequences for interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-6 receptor a (IL-6R) were examined in five marsupial species. Full length expressed coding sequences for IL-6 and IL-6R were identified and characterized in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). For IL-6, ~225 bp fragments of the mRNA sequence were identified in the red-tailed phascogale (Phascogale calura), kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), and stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura), while ~563 bp fragments of mRNA encoding IL-6R were identified in the red-tailed phascogale, kultarr, stripe-face dunnart and fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata). Relative expression levels of IL-6 and IL-6R were examined in the heart, muscle, lung, liver, spleen and kidney of adult red-tailed phascogales, and IL-6 gene expression was found to be significantly higher in the lung and spleen than the other tissues examined, while the expression of IL-6R was significantly higher in the liver, lung and spleen. These results now serve as a reference point for examining the role and levels of IL-6 and IL-6R in the health and disease of these marsupial species. The pro-tumorigenic nature of IL-6 is of particular interest, and the identification of these IL-6 and IL-6R coding sequences provides a platform for further work to evaluate the potential role of IL-6 in marsupial cancers.
KW - Dasyuridae
KW - gene expression
KW - marsupials
KW - phascogales
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:36423
U2 - 10.1016/j.dci.2016.07.008
DO - 10.1016/j.dci.2016.07.008
M3 - Article
SN - 0145-305X
VL - 65
SP - 211
EP - 217
JO - Developmental and Comparative Immunology
JF - Developmental and Comparative Immunology
ER -
