Human Interferon γ is encoded by a single class of mRNA

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Abstract
Polyadenylated RNA from human peripheral blood lymphocytes and spleen cells, treated with different inducers for IFN-γ production, was fractionated on denaturing sucrose gradients. Two IFN-γ mRNA peaks at 12S and 16S were consistently observed. Nucleotide sequence analysis of cDNA clones showed that the 12S IFN-γ mlRNA from the different sources is identical to the gel fractionated 18S IFN-γ mRNA which gave rise to the IFN-γ cDNA clone p69 (1). Nucleotide sequence analysis of several IFN-γ cDNA clones showed the presence of a CGA (Arg) codon at position 140 of mature IFN-γ In contrast with the CAA (Gin) codon, which is found in p69 (1). Specifically primed cDNA extension on total Induced polyadenylated RNA revealed the presence of a single mRNA species having a 5' untranslated region of 125–130 nucleotides. The nucleotide sequence of this region has been obtained. These data suggest that a single human IFN-γ gene, which has very little polymorphism, gives rise to a single size class of mRNA