DETECTION OF 2',5'-OLIGOADENYLATE SYNTHETASE ACTIVITY IN SERUM AND IN SUPERNATANT OF CULTIVATED LYMPHOCYTES: RESPONSE TO INTERFERONS OR INTERFERON INDUCERS

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Abstract
Activity of 2’,5’-oligoadenylate (2-5A) synthetase was measured in sera as well as in lymphocytes from humans and mice by a sensitive radioimmunoassay. Low levels of 2-5A synthetase activity were detected reproducibly in the serum and plasma from healthy subjects. The enzyme activity in the serum was 0.3-0.7 pmol/h/ml of serum, which was 1-2% of that in the lymphocytes obtained from 1 ml of blood. Low levels of 2-5A synthetase activity were also detected in the serum from mice. The enzyme activity in mouse serum was increased by administration of interferons or interferon inducers. Changes in the enzyme activity in the serum were generally in accord with those in the lymphocytes. The enzyme activity in the lymphocyte extract was 50-200 times higher than that in the serum when the activity was compared on a protein basis. We further detected 2-5A synthetase activity in the culture supernatant when peripheral mononuclear cells were cultivated in vitro for 24 h; the activity was 0.3-1.0% of that in the cultured cells. The enzyme level in the culture medium was elevated with an increase in the intracellular enzyme level produced by interferons given in vitro.

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