Since the publication of the first chicken genome sequence, we have encountered genes playing key roles in mammalian immunology, but being seemingly absent in birds. One of those was, until recently, Foxp3, the master transcription factor of regulatory T cells in mammals. Therefore, avian regulatory T cell research is still poorly standardized. In this study we identify a chicken ortholog of Foxp3 We prove sequence homology with known mammalian and sauropsid sequences, but also reveal differences in major domains. Expression profiling shows an association of Foxp3 and CD25 expression levels in CD4+CD25+ peripheral T cells and identifies a CD4-CD25+Foxp3high subset of thymic lymphocytes that likely represents yet undescribed avian regulatory T precursor cells. We conclude that Foxp3 is existent in chickens and that it shares certain functional characteristics with its mammalian ortholog. Nevertheless, pathways for regulatory T cell development and Foxp3 function are likely to differ between mammals and birds. The identification and characterization of chicken Foxp3 will help to define avian regulatory T cells and to analyze their functional properties and thereby advance the field of avian immunology.

• MeSH
• aktivace lymfocytů imunologie   MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace imunologie   MeSH
• forkhead transkripční faktory genetika   MeSH
• genom genetika   MeSH
• kur domácí genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• receptor interleukinu-2 - alfa-podjednotka metabolismus   MeSH
• regulační T-lymfocyty imunologie   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin genetika   MeSH
• sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
• sekvenční homologie MeSH
• sekvenční seřazení MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The expression level of acute phase proteins (APPs) mirrors the health status of an individual. In human medicine, C-reactive protein (CRP), and other members of the pentraxin family are of significant relevance for assessing disease severity and prognosis. In chickens, however, which represent the most common livestock species around the world, no such marker has yet gained general acceptance. The aim of this study was therefore, to characterize chicken pentraxin 3 (chPTX3) and to evaluate its applicability as a general marker for inflammatory conditions. The mammalian and chicken PTX3 proteins were predicted to be similar in sequence, domain organization and polymeric structure. Nevertheless, some characteristics like certain sequence sections, which have varied during the evolution of mammals, and species-specific glycosylation patterns, suggest distinct biological functions. ChPTX3 is constitutively expressed in various tissues but, interestingly, could not be found in splenic tissue samples without stimulation. However, upon treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), PTX3 expression in chicken spleens increased to 95-fold within hours. A search for PTX3 reads in various publicly available RNA-seq data sets of chicken spleen and bursa of Fabricius also showed that PTX3 expression increases within days after experimental infection with viral and bacterial pathogens. An experimental infection with avian pathogenic E.coli and qPCR analysis of spleen samples further established a challenge dose-dependent significant up-regulation of chPTX3 in subclinically infected birds of up to over 150-fold as compared to untreated controls. Our results indicate the potential of chPTX3 as an APP marker to monitor inflammatory conditions in poultry flocks.

• MeSH
• biologické markery metabolismus   MeSH
• C-reaktivní protein genetika   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• Escherichia coli fyziologie   MeSH
• infekce vyvolané Escherichia coli diagnóza   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• kur domácí imunologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nemoci ptáků diagnóza   MeSH
• proteiny akutní fáze genetika   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• ptačí proteiny genetika   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• sekvenční seřazení MeSH
• sérový amyloidový protein genetika   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• upregulace MeSH
• zánět diagnóza   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH