The macropod type 2 interferon gene shares important regulatory and functionally relevant regions with eutherian IFN-γ

• IFN-γ maintains a four-exon gene model in macropod marsupials.
• IFN-γ sequence and gene expression confirmed for tammar and rufous-hare wallabies.
• IFN-γ regulatory motifs and predicted 3D structure is conserved in therian mammals.

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is an important immune regulatory molecule that plays a significant role in internal and external modulation of the mammalian immune response to intracellular pathogens. Herein, we report the 492 nt expressed sequence for the coding domain of IFN-γ from the immune tissues of two Australian macropod marsupial species: the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) and the vulnerable rufous hare-wallaby (Lagorchestes hirsutus). Both 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions and the coding domain of M. eugenii IFN-γ revealed the presence of motifs responsible for transcriptional regulation, mRNA regulation, post-translational modifications, and receptor binding in other mammals. Since diagnostic kits for mycobacterial disease commonly rely on the assessment of interferon levels, we can now use this information to develop reagents that can be applied in clinical and laboratory settings to further our understanding of marsupial responses to disease.