Species-specific posttranscriptional regulation of interferon synthesis

Abstract
Human fibroblast and Syrian hamster embryo cells were induced to synthesize interferon (IF) with rIn .cntdot. rCn and rIn .cntdot. rCn + DEAE-dextran, respectively. Following induction, these cells synthesized IF for only a short time before entering into a repressed state and shutting off the synthesis of IF. Homologous and heterologous whole cell translational systems were developed to investigate the molecular basis for the shut-off of IF synthesis. These systems allowed for the introduction of exogenous hamster and human IF-mRNA into intact normal and repressed hamster and human cells via an improved CaCl2 precipitation technique. Human IF-mRNA was translated in normal human and hamster cells and in repressed hamster cells but not in repressed human cells. In contrast, the hamster IF-mRNA was translated in normal human, normal hamster, and repressed human cells but not in repressed hamster cells. A species-specific mechanism inhibiting translation of IF-mRNA is directly responsible for the shut-off of IF synthesis in human fibroblasts and Syrian hamster embryo cells.

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