Molecular cloning and phylogenetic analysis of inflammatory cytokines of Camelidae (llama and camel)

We cloned, sequenced and analyzed the cDNAs encoding Camelidae inflammatory cytokines, including llama (lama glama) interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and camel (Camelus bactrianus) IL-6 and TNF-alpha. The similarity levels of the deduced amino acid sequences of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha from llama (camel) to those from other mammalian species, ranged from 60.7% to 87.7%, 52.8% to 75.3%, 41.4% to 98.6%, and 72.9% to 99.6%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on nucleic acid sequences showed that llama IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were more closely related to those of camel, pig, cattle, sheep and horse than to those of human, dog, cat, mouse and rat.