Abstract: Rabbit interleukin-4 cDNA from lymphocyte was synthesized by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from mRNA extracted from blood lymphocytes of Angola and Rex rabbit, which were stimulated by 10 μg/mL Con A in vitro. The interleukin-4 cDNA was cloned into pMD18-T vector for sequence. The full cDNA length of the IL-4 gene was 441 bp in Angola and Rex rabbits. The IL-4 encoded a peptide of 147 amino acids, containing signal peptide composed of 24 amino acids and mature interleukin-4 gene composed of 123 amino acids. The Angola and Rex rabbits had 61.8%, 63.4%, 69.8%, 65.1%, 64.1%, 64.1%, 63.1%, 57.0% and 60.5% identity with the IL-4 genes of dog, cat, human, pig, cow, horse, goat, panda and rat, respectively. The deduced amino acid had 47.2%, 50.0%, 53.6%, 52.1%, 48.3%, 46.9%, 52.1%, 43.7% and 43.0% identity with the expressed IL-4 of dog, cat, human, pig, cow, goat, horse, panda and rat, respectively. The recombinant plasmid was transfected by lipofectin to COS-7. Expression of IL-4 gene was detected by RT-PCR. The transient expression product has some biological activities analyzed by MTT.

Key words: Angola rabbit; Rex rabbit; cloning; eukaryotic expression; interleukin-4