title: Identification of CRG-2. An interferon-inducible mRNA predicted to encode a murine monokine.
abstract: In order to identify novel proteins produced by activated macrophages, a cDNA library was made from cultures of the mouse macrophage-like cell line RAW 264.7 that had been treated with conditioned medium from mitogen-stimulated spleen cells, and the library was screened by differential plaque hybridization. A cDNA clone was isolated that detected a 1.4-kilobase mRNA that accumulated dramatically in response to the spleen cell conditioned medium. The 1.4-kilobase mRNA encodes a predicted protein of 98 amino acids, designated CRG-2, molecular weight (Mr) 10,781, with a 21-residue signal peptide. The amino acid sequence indicates that CRG-2 is a member of the platelet factor 4 family (PF4) of cytokines. The CRG-2 mRNA was induced by alpha-, beta-, and gamma-interferons (IFNs) and by lipopolysaccharide. In response to IFN-gamma, the CRG-2 mRNA level reached a peak between 3 and 6 h. The accumulation of CRG-2 mRNA was not blocked by cycloheximide. Among the known members of the PF4 family, CRG-2 is most closely related to the interferon-inducible human protein IP-10. The 5'-flanking region of the crg-2 gene was isolated, and comparisons between crg-2 and IP-10 genes, mRNAs, and proteins reveal conserved features of possible functional importance. CRG-2 may play a role in host defense, particularly in the response to viral infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanguri
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Farber
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015723:Gene Library; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000235:genetics*; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013154:Spleen / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D010978:Platelet Factor 4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D003513:Cycloheximide; D011070:Poly I-C