title: Induction of interleukin-12 (IL-12) by recombinant glycoprotein gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in human monocytes/macrophages: requirement of gamma interferon for IL-12 secretion.
abstract: We studied the effects of the gp120 glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 on the expression of interleukin-12 (IL-12) in human monocytes and in monocyte-derived macrophages. Induction of the mRNA for both the p35 and p40 subunits of IL-12 was observed in both cell types after gp120 treatment. We then evaluated cytokine secretion by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which recognizes only the IL-12 heterodimer. No IL-12 was detected in monocytes/macrophages treated with gp120 alone. A consistent IL-12 secretion was found in macrophages primed with gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and subsequently treated with gp120. Low levels of IL-12 were occasionally observed in IFN-gamma-primed monocytes stimulated with gp120. The greater response of macrophages than of monocytes to the priming effect of IFN-gamma was consistent with the finding that IFN-gamma induced a much stronger antiviral state to vesicular stomatitis virus in macrophages than in monocytes. These data indicate that gp120 is an inducer of IL-12 expression in monocytes/macrophages and that IFN-gamma is an essential cofactor for IL-12 secretion, especially in differentiated macrophages.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fantuzzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gessani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Varano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puddu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Belardelli
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma