title: Induction of endogenous IFN-alpha and IFN-beta genes by a regulatory transcription factor, IRF-1.
abstract: Interferons (IFNs) have an important role in cell growth and differentiation. The most well-known function of IFNs is their antiviral activity; viral infections result in induction of the transcription of the IFN-alpha and IFN-beta genes. Recently we isolated the gene encoding a transcription factor, IRF-1, that may play a part in the induction of IFN genes. Interestingly, the IRF-1 gene itself is virus-inducible, suggesting the importance of de novo production of IRF-1 in IFN gene induction. Here we show that high-level expression of the cloned mouse IRF-1 gene in monkey COS cells results in the induction of endogenous IFN-alpha and IFN-beta genes without viral stimulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate the induction of these genes by an IRF-1/yeast GAL4 chimaeric transcription factor. This may be the first demonstration of the specific induction of silent chromosomal genes by transfection of a single transcription factor gene in mammalian cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Barsoumian
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009522:Newcastle disease virus / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors