Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is the only member of type II IFN and is vital in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses. Herein we report the cloning, expression, and sequence analysis of IFN-γ from the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The open reading frame of this gene is 501 base pair in length and encodes a polypeptide consisting of 166 amino acids. All conserved N-linked glycosylation sites and cysteine residues among carnivores were found in the predicted amino acid sequence of the giant panda. Recombinant giant panda IFN-γ with a V5 epitope and polyhistidine tag was expressed in HEK293 host cells and confirmed by Western blotting. Phylogenetic analysis of mammalian IFN-γ–coding sequences indicated that the giant panda IFN-γ was closest to that of carnivores, then to ungulates and dolphin, and shared a distant relationship with mouse and human. These results represent a first step into the study of IFN-γ in giant panda.
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