Correlation between molecular size and interferon- inducing activity of poly I:C.
Electron microscopy showed that commerical poly I: C consisted of molecules varying in length from less than 0.05 nm to more than 5 nm and also in morphology . To clarify the relationship between its molecular size and interferon-inducing activity, poly I: C was sonicated or fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and the molecular length distribution and interferon-inducing activity of each preparation was determined in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that (1) poly I : C molecules 0.1-0.3 nm long were the most effective for interferon induction; (2) sonication of poly I : C reduced its molecular length and also the interferon-inducing activity, the degree of reduction varying in different fractions; and (3) the interferon-inducing activity of poly I: C of 0.1-0.3 nm obtained by sucrose density gradient centrifugation was higher than that poly I: C of corresponding length prepared by sonication.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013010:Sonication; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000254:growth & development
D007372:Interferons; D011070:Poly I-C