Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, prevents ?-interferon-induced expression of class II mRNA in a macrophage cell line

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To characterize the mechanisms by which interferon γ (IFN-γ) upregulates major histocompatibility complex class II mRNA levels in mouse macrophages, we studied the effect of IFN-γ on the transcription rate of class II genes and investigated the requirement for ongoing protein synthesis for the induction of class II mRNA expression. Nuclear run-off assays demonstrate that IFN-γ induces class II mRNA at the transcriptional level. Treatment with cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, prevented the IFN-γ-mediated accumulation of E α mRNA in the mouse macrophage cell line P388 D.1, indicating that induction of E α mRNA in P388 D.1 cells requires de novo synthesis of a protein intermediate. Our studies suggest that this putative protein factor is labile and required throughout the induction period.