title: Interferon-alpha/beta genes are up-regulated in murine brain astrocytes after infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus.
abstract: This article reports the production of interferon alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) by SJL/J mouse brain astrocyte cultures infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). cRNA from mock- and TMEV-infected SJL/J astrocytes was hybridized to the Affymetrix whole murine genome DNA microarray. Analysis revealed the up-regulation of 3 sequences coding for the IFN-alpha/beta domain. Increased expression of mRNA coding for IFN-alpha was shown by conventional RT-PCR and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. According to ELISA, the concentration of IFN-alpha in the supernatants of infected astrocyte cultures varied with the multiplicity of infection and post-infection time. The IFN-alpha/beta secreted was biologically active, as shown by a virus-based IFN bioassay involving Cocal virus and TMEV infection. The contribution to total interferon activity was 29% +/- 3.0% for IFN-alpha and 52% +/- 3.6% for IFN-beta. IFN-alpha/beta was induced by whole TMEV virions; induction was not achieved with either purified isolated virion capsid proteins or UV-inactivated virus. Further, induction was inhibited by specific anti-TMEV antibodies. The receptor for IFN-alpha/beta, which is absent in uninfected astrocytes, was up-regulated after infection, as suggested by DNA hybridization analysis. The brains of infected mice contained IFN-alpha/beta mRNA during the acute encephalitis phase, peaking at day 5 post-infection. Our findings could have significance for human diseases such as viral encephalitis and multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain. nazario@cajal.csic.es
authors.forename: Nazario
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palomo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alcami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D018188:Cardiovirus Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D017945:Theilovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D014771:Virion / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D016899:Interferon-beta