title: Regulation of interferon gene expression: mechanism of action of the If-1 locus.
abstract: We have examined the mechanism of action of the If-1 interferon (IFN) regulatory locus. This locus controls the level of circulating IFN produced in inbred mice in response to intravenous injection of Newcastle disease virus. Mice carrying the If-1h (high) allele show circulating IFN levels 10- to 15-fold higher than those carrying the If-1l (low) allele. In this report we show that induced splenocytes from If-1h and If-1l mice produce IFN at levels which are in the same proportions as those found in the circulation. Higher levels of IFN-specific mRNA were observed in splenocyte populations from If-1h animals. This was due to increased transcription of IFN genes. At the same time, the high- and low-producing populations showed no significant difference in the number of IFN mRNA-containing cells. We conclude that the effect of If-1 in the spleen is to control the levels of transcription of the IFN genes in individual induced splenocytes.
authors.affiliation: Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier Notre-Dame, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Daigneault
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coulombe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skup
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009522:Newcastle disease virus / Q000502:physiology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D012367:RNA, Viral