title: Human gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor exert a synergistic blockade on the replication of herpes simplex virus.
abstract: The replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is not inhibited in either HeLa or HEp-2 cells treated with human alpha interferon (HuIFN-alpha), particularly when high multiplicities of infection are used. However, HuIFN-gamma partially inhibits HSV-1 translation in HEp-2 cells infected at low multiplicities. Under these conditions, the transcription of genes alpha 22, TK, and gamma 0 is greatly diminished. The combined addition of human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and HuIFN-gamma to HEp-2 cells exerts a synergistic inhibition of HSV-1 translation. Cells treated with both cytokines continue synthesizing cellular proteins, even 20 h after HSV-1 infection. As little as 10 U of IFN-gamma per ml blocked HSV-1 DNA replication, provided that TNF was also present in the medium. Analyses of HSV-1 gene transcription suggest that the action of both TNF and IFN-gamma blocked a step that comes at or prior to early HSV-1 gene expression. This early step in HSV-1 replication inhibited by TNF and IFN-gamma occurs after virus attachment and entry into cells, since the internalization of radioactive HSV-1 virion particles was not blocked by the presence of the two cytokines. Therefore, we conclude that the synergistic action of TNF plus IFN-gamma affects a step in HSV-1 replication that comes after virus entry but before or at the transcription of immediate-early genes.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feduchi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrasco
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014764:Viral Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma