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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Imaging of In Situ Interferon Gamma Production in the Mouse Spleen following Listeria monocytogenes Infection
Published on: July 16, 2019
Interferon-gamma inhibits metalloproteinase activity and cytotrophoblast cell migration
Vanina Andrea Fontana1, Melisa Sanchez, Elisa Cebral
1Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Problem:
Establishment of a successful pregnancy relies on a complex fetal-mother communication that starts with the embryo adhering and invading the endometrium. This requires remodeling of extracellular matrix, performed by metalloproteinases. Cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), play a role in implantation and could affect the success of pregnancy.
Method Of Study:
Using JEG-3 cell line as model, we cultured the cells in the presence or absence of IFN-gamma and determined the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 using zymography and the secretion of leptin using Western blot.
Results:
Interferon-gamma inhibits gelatinase activity from MMP-2 and MMP-9 in a dose-dependent manner, reducing the secretion of leptin (not because of a general inhibition on protein synthesis) and impairs cell migration on Matrigel.
Conclusion:
Our results correlate with previous reports from our laboratory indicating that IFN- gamma is deleterious for mouse embryo outgrowth, having an effect on metalloproteinases activity as well as leptin secretion.
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