Table 1

Comparison of putative opossum and known human cytokine sequences. Opossum IFN-α genes were compared with 13 human IFN-α genes.
Identity
 Number of exons in open reading frame
 Number of amino acids
 % amino acid identity*
Cytokines
 opossum
 human
 opossum
 human
Interleukin 2
 4
 4
 144
 153
 41.8
Interleukin 4
 4
 4
 138
 153
 43.3
Interleukin 5
 4
 4
 137
 134
 53.0
Interleukin 6
 5
 5
 221
 212
 36.3
Interleukin 10
 5
 5
 173
 178
 59.5
Interleukin 12A
 7
 7
 231
 253
 52.2
Interleukin 13
 4
 4
 122
 146
 36.7
Interleukin 19
 6
 6
 188
 215
 58.0
Interleukin 20
 6
 5
 154
 176
 59.7
Interleukin 21
 5
 5
 163
 162
 46.5
Interleukin 22
 4
 5
 150
 179
 40.0
Interleukin 24
 6
 6
 220
 206
 43.7
Interleukin 26
 5
 5
 201
 171
 55.9
Interferon γ
 4
 4
 167
 166
 47.0
Type 1 Interferons




IFN-α (seven genes)
 1
 1
 183
 188–9 (range)
 33–42 (range)
IFN-β
 1
 1
 184
 187
 43.2
IFN-κ
 1
 1
 156
 207
 51.3
Cytokine receptors




Common cytokine receptor gamma chain (IL-2Rγ)
 8
 8
 349
 367
 54.9
Interferon-γ receptor 2
 6
 7
 269
 344
 49.6
T cell surface receptors




CD4
 9
 9
 485
 458
 45.6
CD8
 6
 6
 349
 235
 37.7

* compared with human sequence

Wong et al. Immunome Research 2006 2:4   doi:10.1186/1745-7580-2-4