CLONING OF A CDNA-ENCODING A MOUSE HOMOLOG OF THE INTERLEUKIN-8 RECEPTOR

A mouse cDNA library was screened using a DNA fragment generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with oligodeoxyribonucleotide primers which were derived from the conserved sequences in cDNAs encoding the human and rabbit interleukin-8 receptors (hIL-8R and rIL-8R). A novel cDNA was obtained encoding 359 amino acids (aa) with seven putative transmembrane portions similar to hIL-8R and rIL-8R. Its aa sequence shows 64 and 69% homology to those of type-1 and type-2 hIL-8R, respectively. COS-7 cells transfected with the isolated cDNA in a mammalian expression vector bind IL-8, but do not bind a related protein, monocyte chemotactic and activating factor, suggesting that the isolated cDNA encodes the mouse homolog of IL-8R. Northern blot analysis showed that mRNA of this clone was highly expressed in mouse peritoneal neutrophils, and the single band was observed in Southern blotting analysis on mouse genomic DNA digested with HindIII or KpnI, suggesting that this is a single-copy gene.