Abstract
Priming human fibroblasts with low levels (100 units/ml) of homologous interferon (IFN) prior to induction of gene expression with poly(rI·rC) results in the accumulation of 5-10-fold higher levels of IFN-β1 mRNA when compared to induced but nonprimed cells. By run-on transcription assay we have determined that this increase results mainly from increased transcription rate of the IFN-β1 gene. We have also shown that priming leads to elevated cytoplasmic steady state levels of two additional RNA species which initiate at the major IFN-β1 mRNA initiation site and extend beyond the polyadenylation site for the IFN-β1 0.9-kilobase mRNA. Located next to the 3' end of the IFN-β1 gene we have also identified a novel poly(rI·rC)-induced gene which like the IFN-β1 gene is highly activated in cells primed with IFN prior to poly(rI·rC) induction. However, the expression of another poly(rI·rC)-induced gene located on a different chromosome is only slightly affected by the priming procedure used here. We postulate that IFN priming acts specifically on certain genes rather than by a general potentiation of poly(rI·rC) induction.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Biological Chemistry |
Volume | 260 |
Issue number | 26 |
State | Published - 1 Dec 1985 |