Cloning and sequence analysis of IFN-γ gene in Ailuropoda melanoleuca

The giant panda IFN-γ gene (GenBank accession No: DQ630727) was amplified by RT-PCR from total RNA of ConA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes. The PCR product was cloned into pGEM-T vector and sequenced. The IFN-γ gene contained an open reading frame of 498 nucleotides encoding 166 amino acids, including the signal peptide of 19 amino acids. The estimated Mw (molecular weight) and pI were about 20 Ku and 9.36 respectively. The gene shared 57.7 %-93.2 % nucleotide homology and 46.8 %-92.8 % amino acid identity with those of other animals. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequence of the IFN-γ gene showed that giant panda had the closest genetic relationship with dog.