Inhibitory effect of interferon-gamma on adenovirus replication and late transcription

We have previously shown that human interferon-gamma inhibited adenovirus multiplication in vitro in a dose-dependent fashion. This action was previous to capsid proteins synthesis and did not involve virus adsorption nor penetration. In this report we have analysed viral mRNA levels at early (7 hr post infection (p.i.)) or late (20 hr p.i.) times, as well as DNA replication in Wish cells pretreated with interferon-gamma and infected with adenovirus 5. Controls included untreated cells as well as cells treated with interferon-alpha, to which adenovirus are reported to be resistant. Transcription of adenovirus regions E1, E4, L1 and L2 has been analysed by Northern blot. Adenovirus DNA replication was determined by DNA-DNA hybridization with total adenovirus 2 DNA. We have also searched for adenovirus E1A proteins by immunoblot with a specific monoclonal antibody. Although pretreatment of cells with either interferon-alpha or interferon-gamma resulted in reduced amounts of E1 and E4 mRNA in the early phase of infection (7 hr p.i.), the near complete inhibition of viral DNA and late transcription was only achieved by interferon-gamma. Immunoblot has shown the absence of the 48-kD E1A protein in cells pretreated with interferon-gamma. The lack of this regulatory adenovirus protein may be involved in the inhibitory mechanism of interferon-gamma on adenovirus.