RT Journal
A1 Ko, Jae-Hong
A1 Jin, Hee-Kyung
A1 Asano, Atsushi
A1 Takada, Ayato
A1 Ninomiya, Ai
A1 Kida, Hiroshi
A1 Hokiyama, Hironao
A1 Ohara, Mutsuo
A1 Tsuzuki, Masaoki
A1 Nishibori, Masahide
A1 Mizutani, Makoto
A1 Watanabe, Tomomasa
T1 Polymorphisms and the Differential Antiviral Activity of the Chicken Mx Gene
JF Genome Research 
JO Genome Research 
YR 2002 
FD April 01 
VO 12 
IS 4 
SP 595 
OP 601 
DO 10.1101/gr.210702 
UL http://genome.cshlp.org/content/12/4/595.abstract 
AB The nucleotide sequence of chicken Mx cDNA was reported earlier using the White Leghorn breed in Germany, but it showed no enhanced resistance to viruses. In this study, the nucleotide sequences of chicken Mx cDNA were determined in many breeds. A total of 25 nucleotide substitutions, of which 14 were deduced to cause amino acid exchanges, were detected, suggesting that the chicken Mxgene is very polymorphic. Transfected cell clones expressing chickenMx mRNA were established after the Mx cDNA was constructed with an expression vector and introduced into mouse 3T3 cells, and the Mx genes from some breeds were demonstrated to confer positive antiviral responses to influenza virus and vesicular stomatitis virus. On the basis of the comparison among the antiviral activities associated with many Mx variations, a specific amino acid substitution at position 631 (Ser to Asn) was considered to determine the antivirally positive or negative Mx gene. Thus, a single amino acid substitution influences the antiviral activity of Mx in domesticated chickens.