Interferon production in murine macrophage-like cell lines

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cell Biology
• Virology

Background:

• Macrophage-derived interferons (IFNs) play a crucial role in innate immunity.
• Characterizing macrophage (M phi) IFNs requires suitable cell models.
• Previous studies have not comprehensively evaluated M phi cell lines for IFN production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the suitability of five murine M phi-like cell lines for characterizing M phi IFNs.
• To compare IFN production levels and kinetics in response to different stimuli.

Main Methods:

• Five murine M phi-like cell lines (J774A.1, RAW 309 Cr.1, RAW 264.7, P388D1, PU5-1.8) were treated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Newcastle disease virus (NDV).
• Interferon production was quantified using international units (IU)/10(6) cells.
• IFN stability (pH 2.0) and neutralization with anti-mouse L cell IFN antiserum were assessed.

Main Results:

• J774A.1, RAW 309 Cr.1, and RAW 264.7 cells produced significant levels of IFN (30-800 IU/10(6) cells) upon LPS treatment.
• P388D1 and PU5-1.8 cells showed no detectable IFN production with LPS.
• All cell lines produced IFN upon NDV inoculation, with PU5-1.8 producing significantly lower levels (15 IU/10(6) cells) of acid-stable IFN compared to others (4.2 x 10(3)-1.7 x 10(4) IU/10(6) cells).

Conclusions:

• J774A.1, RAW 309 Cr.1, and RAW 264.7 cell lines are suitable for studying M phi IFN synthesis, molecular weights, and regulatory functions.
• PU5-1.8 cells are less suitable for general M phi IFN studies due to low production, but may be useful for specific investigations of acid-stable IFN.
• IFN production kinetics vary, with peak production occurring within 4 hours for LPS and 12 hours for NDV stimulation.