Interferon treatment inhibits early events in vaccinia virus gene expression in infected mice.
We have analyzed the role of exogenous administration of mouse interferon (IFN alpha + beta) on the replication of vaccinia virus in peritoneal cells and in the spleen of Balb/c mice. Mice were pretreated for 16 hr with IFN and then infected with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing luciferase under an early or late virus promoter, and the enzyme activity was measured in the course of virus infection. A dose of IFN as low as 10(3) units/mouse abolished the appearance of luciferase activity in cells of the peritoneal cavity and in spleen cells. The IFN-mediated inhibition of luciferase activity was observed even when mice were infected 4 days after the administration of IFN. The IFN-treated animals were considered free of virus since neither luciferase nor viral proteins were detected in target cells several days after virus infection. Despite a severe IFN-mediated inhibition of luciferase activity, the appearance of luciferase on mRNA levels was not inhibited 6 hr after virus infection. Our finding revealed that replication of vaccinia virus in Balb/c mice is exquisitively sensitive to inhibition by IFN and that this effect occurs at early times postinfection, most likely as a result of a translational block.
Rodriguez
J R
JR
Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York, Brooklyn 11203.
Rodriguez
D
D
Esteban
M
M
D000818:Animals; D015870:Gene Expression; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000382:microbiology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000382:microbiology*; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007372:Interferons; D008156:Luciferases