Molecular cloning and transcriptional regulation of Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) IFN-α gene.

Interferon-α (IFN-α) resists viral infections by triggering the transcription of a diverse range of antiviral IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). However, information about the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) IFN-α (PcIFN-α) has not been reported. In this study, a PcIFN-α gene was amplified, which encoded a protein of 193 amino acids with a 26-amino acid signal peptide sharing 72.16-95.70% identity with other avians in Aves. After expression in prokaryote, PcIFN-α was analyzed for its physicochemical property and antiviral activity. Intriguingly, compared with chicken IFN-α, an effective viral infection therapeutic agent, PcIFN-α showed superior anti-VSV, NDV, and AIV activities, which were then abrogated by rabbit anti-PcIFN-α antibodies in vitro. Moreover, PcIFN-α was shown to be highly sensitive to trypsin; however, it remained stable despite changes in pH and temperature. Additionally, PcIFN-α induced the transcriptional or translational levels of Mx1 and ISG12 genes time-dependently. Overall, the present study revealed that PcIFN-α is a potential novel effective therapeutic agent in antiviral defense responses in peafowl, improving understanding of its involvement in bird antiviral defense.