First report of a chemokine from camelids: Dromedary CXCL8 is induced by poxvirus and heavy metal toxicity.

First report of a chemokine from camelids: Dromedary CXCL8 is induced by poxvirus and heavy metal toxicity.

Publication date: Dec 01, 2024

Low molecular weight proteins, known as chemokines, facilitate the migration and localization of immune cells to the site of infection and injury. One of the first chemokines identified, CXCL8 functions as a key neutrophil activator, recruiting neutrophils to sites of inflammation. Several viral infections, including zoonotic coronaviruses and poxviruses, have been reported to induce the expression of CXCL8. Dromedary camels are known to harbor several potentially zoonotic pathogens, but critical immune molecules such as chemokines remain unidentified. We report here the identification of CXCL8 from the dromedary camel – the first chemokine identified from camelids. The complete dromedary CXCL8 cDNA sequence as well as the corresponding gene sequence from dromedary and two New World camelids – alpaca and llama were cloned. CXCL8 mRNA expression was relatively higher in PBMC, spleen, lung, intestine, and liver. Poly(I:C) and lipopolysaccharide stimulated CXCL8 expression in vitro, while interferon treatment inhibited it. In vitro infection with potentially zoonotic camelpox virus induced the expression of CXCL8 in camel kidney cells. Toxicological studies on camelids have been limited, and no biomarkers have been identified. Hence, we also evaluated CXCL8 mRNA expression as a potential biomarker to assess heavy metal toxicity in camel kidney cells in vitro. CXCL8 expression was increased after in vitro exposure to heavy metal compounds of cobalt and cadmium, suggesting potential utility as a biomarker for renal toxicity in camels. The results of our study demonstrate that camel CXCL8 plays a significant role in immunomodulatory and induced toxicity responses in dromedary camels.

Concepts Keywords
Camelids Animals
Coronaviruses Camelids, New World
Kidney Camelus
Toxicological Cells, Cultured
Zoonotic Chemokine
Cloning, Molecular
Heavy metal exposure
IL8
In vitro toxicity
Interleukin-8
Interleukin-8
Lipopolysaccharides
Lipopolysaccharides
Metals, Heavy
Metals, Heavy
Nephrotoxicity
Poly I-C
Poly I-C
Poxviridae
Poxviridae Infections
Poxvirus

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease IDO site of infection
disease MESH inflammation
disease MESH viral infections
disease MESH infection
drug DRUGBANK Cobalt
drug DRUGBANK Cadmium
disease IDO role
disease MESH Poxviridae Infections

Original Article

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