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. 1997 Aug;91(4):560–564. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1997.00305.x

Interferon-gamma induces the expression of immediate early genes c-fos and c-jun in astrocytes.

N Rubio 1
PMCID: PMC1363876  PMID: 9378495

Abstract

The expression of the proto-oncogenes, c-fos and c-jun, in cultured mouse astrocytes and its induction by the potent astrocyte activator interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), were examined by Northern blot and flow cytometry. Both proto-oncogenes were induced in a dose-dependent manner, peaking around 100 U/ml of IFN-gamma. The kinetics of expression is very transient for c-fos, reaching a maximum at 30 min and decreasing rapidly thereafter. The c-jun remained high throughout the stages analysed. Cycloheximide superinduced c-fos and c-jun induction by IFN-gamma, thus indicating that both act as immediate early genes. The products of c-fos and c-jun, proteins FOS and JUN, that act in conjunction forming the regulatory factor AP-1, were detected 1 hr after stimulation in virtually all cells, using flow cytometry. The induction in astrocytes of both proto-oncogenes could be the first stage of immunological activation of these central nervous system cells by immune interferon.

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