Interleukin-12 gene expression after viral infection in the mouse.
Interleukin-12 is a lymphokine that triggers gamma interferon secretion by various cells and differentiation of T-helper lymphocytes towards the Th1 subtype. Since viruses are potent inducers of gamma interferon production and elicit immune responses most probably mediated by Th1 cells, like B-cell immunoglobulin G2a secretion, we analyzed interleukin-12 message expression after infection of mice with lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus, mouse hepatitis virus, and mouse adenovirus. Our results indicated that the message for the p40 component of interleukin-12 was transiently increased shortly after infection. Interleukin-12 was expressed mainly by macrophages. Therefore, production of interleukin-12 might constitute the initial event that would determine the subsequent characteristics of the immune response elicited by viral infections.
Unit of Experimental Medicine, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
J P
JP
Coutelier
J
J
Van Broeck
S F
SF
Wolf
D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D018174:Arterivirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism; D007772:Lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism
D017931:DNA Primers; D018664:Interleukin-12