title: Beta interferon subtype 1 induction by tumor necrosis factor.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) induces an antiviral state in various cell lines. This antiviral state is quite similar to that established by interferon (IFN), e.g., TNF treatment of HEp-2 cells induces 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase activity. Both antiviral activity and synthetase induction are greatly reduced when TNF treatment occurs in the presence of a beta interferon subtype 1 (IFN-beta 1)-neutralizing antiserum. However, no one has yet directly demonstrated IFN-beta 1 induction, either as an antiviral activity in supernatants from TNF-treated cells or as IFN-specific mRNA by Northern (RNA) blot analysis. We have adopted a recently described in vitro DNA amplification protocol for the detection of specific RNAs. By applying this method to RNA from HEp-2 cells, we could demonstrate increased levels of IFN-beta 1-specific transcripts after TNF treatment. Dose response and kinetics of IFN-beta 1 induction coincided with the TNF-induced antiviral state. Nuclear run-on analysis showed enhanced transcriptional activity of the IFN-beta 1 gene in TNF-treated cells. Our data substantiate a role of IFN-beta 1 as mediator of the biological activity of TNF in HEp-2 cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virus Research, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mestan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mittnacht
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Dieffenbach
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology*; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004247:DNA; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase