Molecular cloning, mapping, and tissue expression of the porcine cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) gene.

CD14 plays an important role in initiating the innate response to lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria. The gene and corresponding cDNA of porcine CD14 were sequenced and characterized. The porcine CD14 gene consists of two exons and a short intron (80 bp) located immediately after the ATG translation start codon. This structure is very similar to the CD14 gene of human, rat, mouse, rabbit, horse, and cow. The sequence of the porcine CD14 protein is 59-76% identical to that of rat, mouse, rabbit, human, horse, and cow CD14 protein. A highly conserved structure of the CD14 protein with respect to the leucine-rich repeats domain and the N-glycosylation sites was observed between species. Porcine CD14 was assigned to porcine chromosome 2q21 by a radiation hybrid panel. Using RT-PCR analysis, porcine CD14 transcripts were detected in liver, spleen, thymus, white matter, and skeletal muscle.

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