Summary
IFNs are proteins produced by cells following stimulation with biological or synthetic inducers. The interaction with the membrane receptor is followed by the activation of the expression of particular genes that are responsible for their antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory properties. In this review we will briefly discuss the mechanisms exploited by IFNs to control at transcriptional level the expression of inducible genes. In particular we will focus on some characteristics of cis-acting DNA elements that are located upstream from the initiation site for RNA transcription and of nuclear transacting factors that are required for modulation of gene expression by IFNs.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
J.E. Darnell. Variety in the level of gene control in eukaryotic cells. Nature 297: 365 (1982).
A.C. Larner, G. Jonak, Y-S.EE. Cheng, B. Korant, E. Knight and J.E. Darnell. Transcriptional induction of two genes in human cells by p-interferon. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 81: 6733 (1984).
R.L. Friedman, S.P. Manly, M. McMajon, I. Kerr and G.R. Stark. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of interferon induced gene expression in human cells. Cell 38: 745 (1984).
R.L. Friedman and G.R. Stark. a-Interferon-induced transcription of HLA and metallothionein genes containing homologous upstream sequences. Nature 314: 637 (1985).
T. Maniatis, S. Goodbourn and J.A. Fischer. Regulation of inducible and tissue-specific gene expression. Science 236: 1237 (1987).
H. Samanta, D.A. Engel, H.M. Chao, A. Thakur, M.A. Garcia-Blanco and P. Lengyel. Interferon as gene activators. Cloning of the 5’ terminus and the control segment of an interferon activated gene. J. Biol. Chem. 261: 11849 (1986).
G. Gribaudo, E. Toniato, D.A. Engel and P. Lengyel. Interferon as genes activators. Characteristics of an interferon-activatable enhancer. J. Biol. Chem. 262: 11878 (1987).
A. Israel, A. Kimura, A. Fournier, M. Fellous and P. Kourilsky. Interferon response sequence potentiates activity of an enhancer in the promoter region of a mouse H-2 gene. Nature 322: 743 (1986).
G. Gribaudo, M. Gariglio, M. Giovarelli, C. Iemma, G. Cavallo and S. Landolfo. Cell and type specificity of interferon action. Unusual characteristics of the transcriptional control of gene expression by interferon-gamma in T cells. Eur. J. Immunol. 20: 124 (1990).
M. Gariglio, S. Panico, G. Cavallo, C. Divaker, P. Lengyel and S. Landolfo. Impaired transcription of the poly rI:rC- and interferon-activatable 202 gene in mice and cell lines from the C57BL/6 strain. Virology 187: 115 (1992).
T.C. Dale, A.M. Ali Imam, I.M. Kerr and G.R. Stark. Rapid activation by interferon a of a latent DNA binding protein present in the cytoplasm of untreated cell. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 86: 1203 (1989).
D.E. Levy, D.S. Kessler, R. Pine, N. Reich and J.E. Darnell. Interferon-induced nuclear factors that bind a shared promoter element correlate with positive and negative transcriptional control. Genes Dev. 2: 383 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Landolfo, S. et al. (1993). Regulation of Gene Expression by Interferons. In: Garaci, E., Goldstein, A.L. (eds) Combination Therapies 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2964-4_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2964-4_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6289-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2964-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive