Abstract
Using polymerase chain reaction, interleukin-6 (IL-6) cDNA fragments from harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), killer whale (Orcinus orca), and Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) were cloned and sequenced. For all three species, a continuous open reading frame encoding 203 residues for harbor seal, 199 residues for killer whale, and 201 residues fro sea otter with stop codons located at analogous positions were identified. These fragments correspond to nucleotides 71–753 of the humanIL-6 transcript and represent 96% of the complete coding nucleotides. Comparison of these marine mammal sequences with other published mammalianIL-6 cDNA demonstrated that both harbor seal and sea otterIL-6 had most similarity to that of other terrestrial carnivores (Mustelidae and Canidae), while killer whale had highest identity with ruminants (Bovidae and Ovidae). Among the three marine mammal species characterized, as well as cDNA sequences from nine other species, 40 invariant amino acids, including a number of residues situated at the putative gp80 and gp130 receptor binding sites, were identified. The presence of invariant amino acids within the receptor-binding portion of IL-6 for twelve different species suggests these positions are essential for biological activity of IL-6 and, moreover, likely account for the cross-reactivity among different mammalian IL-6-like activities in mouse bioassays. An additional significant finding was the presence of several variant residues only within the mouse putative IL-6 receptor binding region, which may account for observations of restricted cross-reactivity of mouse IL-6-like activity in human bioassays. Together, these findings provide insights into the evolution of the mammalianIL-6 gene and additional valuable information regarding amino acid residues essential for the biological activity of mammalian IL-6.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andrews, A. E., Barcham, G. J., Ashman, K., Meeusen, E. N., Brandon, M. R., and Nash, A. D. Molecular cloning and characterisation of a ruminant interleukin 6 cDNA.Immunol Cell Biol 71: 341–348, 1993
Bazan, J. F. Haemopoietic receptors and helical cytokines.Immunol Today 11: 350–354, 1990
Brakenhoff, J. P. J., Hart, M., and Aarden, L. A. Analysis of human IL-6 mutants expressed inEscherichia coli. Biologic activities are not affected by deletion of amino acids 1–28.J Immunol 143: 1175–1182, 1989
Brakenhoff, J. P. J., Hart, M., De Groot, E. R., Di Padova, F., and Aarden, L. A. Structure function analysis of human IL-6: epitope mapping of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies with amino- and carboxyl-terminal deletion mutants.J Immunol 145: 561–568, 1990
Brakenhoff, J. P. J., deHon, F. D., Fontaine, V., ten Boekel, E., Schooltink, H., Rose-John, S., Heinri h, P. C., and Aarden, L. A. Development of a human interleukin-6 receptor anatagonist.J Biol Chem 269: 86–93, 1994
Chiu, C. P., Moulds, C., Coffman, R. L., Rennick, D., and Lee, F. Multiple biological activities are expressed by a mouse interleukin 6 cDNA clone isolated from bone marrow stromal cells.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85: 7099–7103, 1988
Droogmans, L., Cludts, I., Cleuter, Y., Kettmann, R., and Burny, A. Nucleotide sequence of bovine interleukin 6 cDNA.DNA Seq 2: 411–413, 1992
Ehlers, M., Grötzinger, J., deHon, F. D., Müllberg, J., Brakenhoff, J. P. J., Liu, J., Wollmer, A., and Rose-John, S. Identification of two novel regions of human IL-6 responsible for receptor binding and signal transduction.J Immunol 153: 1744–1753, 1994
Ehlers, M., de Hon, F. D., Bos, H. K., Horsten, U., Kurapkat, G., van De Leur, H. S., Grotzinger, J., Wollmer, A., Brakenholf, J. P., and Rose-John, S. Combining two mutations of human interleukin-6 that affect gp130 activation results in a potent interleukin-6 receptor antagonist on human myeloma cells.J Biol Chem 270: 8158–8163, 1995
Felsenstein, J. Confidence limits on phylogenies: an approach using the bootstraps.Evolution 39: 783–791, 1985
Fontaine, V., Savino, R., Arcone, R., de Wit, L., Brakenhoff, J. P., Content, J., and Ciliberto, G. Involvement of the Arg179 in the active site of human IL-6.Eur J Biochem 211: 749–755, 1993
Frei, K., Leist, T. P., Meager, A., Gallo, P., Leppert, D., Zinkernagel, R. M., and Fontana, A. Production of B-cell stimulatory factor-2 and interferon gamma in the central nervous system during viral meningitis and encephalitis. Evaluation in a murine model of infection and in patients.J Exp Med 168: 449–453, 1988
Graur, D., and Higgins, D. G. Molecular evidencefor the inclusion of c cetaceans within the order Artiodactyla.Mol Biol Evol 11: 357–364, 1994
Hack, C. E., De Groot, E. R., Felt-Bersma, R. J. F., Nuijens, J. H., Strack van Schijndel, R. J. M., Eerenberg-Belmer, A. J. M., Thijs, L. G., and Aarden, L. A. Increased plasma levels of interleukin 6 in sepsis.Blood 74: 1704–1710, 1989
Hirano, T., Taga, T., Yamasaki, K., Matsuda, T., Yasukawa, K., Hirata, Y., Yawata, H., Tanabe, O., Akira, S., and Kishimoto, T. Molecular cloning of the cDNAs for interleukin-6/B cell stimulatory factor 2 and its receptorAnn NY Acad Sci 557: 167–178, 1989
Jambou, R. C., Snouwaert, J. N., Bishop, G. A., Stebbins, J. R., Frelinger, J. A., and Fowlkes, D. M. High-levels expression of a bioengineered cysteine-free hepatocyte-stimulating factor (Interleukin 6-like) protein.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85: 9426–9430, 1988
King, D. P., Robinson, I., Hay, A. W. M., and Evans, S. W. Identification and partial characterisation of common seal (Phoca vitulina) and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) interleukin 6-like activities.Dev Comp Immunol 17: 449–458, 1993
Kruttgen, A., Rose-John, S., Dufhues, G., Bender, S., Lutticken, C., Freyer, P., and Heirich, P. C. The three carboxy-terminal amino acids of human interleukin-6 are essential for its biological activity.FEBS Lett 273: 95–98, 1990
Kukielka, G. L., Youker, K. A., Hawkins, H. K., Perrand, J. L., Michael, L. H., Ballantyne, C. M., Smith, C. W., and Entman, M. L. Regulation of ICAM-1 and IL-6 in myocardial ischemia: effect of reperfusion.Ann NY Acad Sci 723: 258–270, 1994
LeMay, L. G., Vander, A. J., and Kluger, M. J. Role of interleukin-6 in fever in rats.Am J Physiol 258: R798-R803, 1990
May, L. T., Helfgott, D. C., and Sehgal, P. B. Anti-β-interferon antibodies inhibit the increased expression of HLA-B7 mRNA in tumor necrosis factor-treated human fibroblasts: structural studies of the β-2 interferon involved.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 8957–8961, 1986
May, L. T., Ghrayeb, J., Santhanam, U., Tatter, S. B., Sthoeger, Z., Helfgott, D. C. Chiorazzi, N., Grieninger, G., and Sehgal, P. B. Synthesis and secretion of multiple forms of a beta 2-interferon/B-cell differentiation factor 2/hepatocyte-stimulating factor by human fibroblasts and monocytes.J Biol Chem 263: 7760–7766, 1988
Melton, D. A., Krieg, P. A., Rebagliati, M. R., Maniatis, T., Zinn, K., and Green, M. R. Efficient in vitro synthesis of biologically active RNA and RNA hybridization probes from plasmids containing a bacteriophage SP6 promoter.Nucleic Acids Res 12: 7035–7056, 1984
Nijsten, M. W. N., De Groot, E. R., ten Duis, H. J., Klasen, H. J., Hack, C. E., and Aarden, L. A. Serum levels of interleukin-6 and acute phase responses.Lancet 2: 921, 1987
Northemann, W., Braciak, T. A., Hatton, M., Lee, F., and Fey, G. H. Structure of the rat interleukin 6 gene and its expression in macrophage-derived cells.J Biol Chem 264: 16072–16082, 1989
Ohashi, T., Matsumoto, Y., Watari, T., Goitsuka, R., Tsujimoto, H., and Hasegawa, A. Molecular cloning of feline interleukin-6 cDNA.J Vet Med Sci 55: 941–944, 1993
Ramadori, G., Van Damme, J., Rieder, H., and Meyer, zum Buschenfelde, K. Interleukin 6, the third mediator of acute phase reaction, modulates hepatic protein synthesis in human and mouse.Eur J Immunol 18: 1259–1264, 1988
Reiner, S. L., Zheng, S., Corry, D. B., and Locksley, R. M. Constructing polycompetitor cDNAs for quantitative PCR.J Immunol Methods 165: 37–46, 1993
Rennick, D., Hudak, S., Yang, G., and Jackson, J. Regulation of hemopoietic cell development by interleukins 4, 5, and 6.Immunol Res 8: 215–225, 1989
Richards, C. and Saklatalva, J. Molecular cloning and sequence of porcine interleukin 6 cDNA, and expression of mRNA in synovial fibroblastsin vitro.Cytokine 3: 269–276, 1991
Sanger, F., Nicklen, S., and Coulson, A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74: 5463–5467, 1977
Swofford, D. L. PAUP: Phylogenetic Analysis using Parsimony. 3.1 Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, 1993
Taga, T., Hibi, M., Hirata, Y., Yamasaki, K., Yasukawa, K., Matsuda, T., Hirano, T., and Kishimoto, T. Interleukin-6 triggers the association of its receptor with a possible signal transducer, gp130.Cell 58: 573–581, 1989
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to GSDB and have been assigned the accession numbers L46802 (harbor sealIL-6), L46803 (killer whaleIL-6), and L46804 (Southern sea otterIL-6)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
King, D.P., Schrenzel, M.D., McKnight, M.L. et al. Molecular cloning and sequencing of interleukin 6 cDNA fragments from the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), killer whale (Orcinus orca), and Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis). Immunogenetics 43, 190–195 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00587299
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00587299