Abstract
In mammals, interleukin-21 (IL-21) is an immunomodulatory cytokine with pleiotropic effects on the proliferation, differentiation and effector functions of T, B, NK and dendritic cells. A cDNA encoding the chicken orthologue of IL-21 (chIL-21) was cloned by RT-PCR from RNA isolated from activated chicken splenocytes and consists of 438 nucleotides, encoding an open reading frame of 145 amino acids (aa). Chicken IL-21 has 20–30% aa identity to its orthologues in mammals, Xenopus and fish, but is more highly conserved within Aves (50–80%). The four alpha-helical bundle structure of mammalian IL-21 appears to be conserved in the predicted chicken protein, as are the four cysteine residues required for the formation of two disulphide bridges. A glutamine residue in aa position 129, which has been implicated in the binding of IL-21 to the IL-2 receptor γ-chain in mammals, is also conserved. ChIL-21 is expressed in most lymphoid tissues, predominantly by CD4+ TCRαβ+ T cells. As in mammals, chIL-21 synergistically enhances T-cell proliferation and inhibits maturation of dendritic cells.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
