Interferon-alpha, beta and -gamma induce (2'-5') oligoadenylate synthetase in cultured mouse brain cells

Basal and interferon (IFN)-induced levels of (2'-5') oligoadenylate synthetase activity were measured in astrocyte cultures from the mouse cerebral cortex, in neurone-enriched and mixed cerebellar cultures, and in two continuous neural cell lines by a radioimmunoassay procedure. All untreated cultures contained measureable enzyme activity. Both purified IFN-alpha, beta and recombinant IFN-gamma induced the enzyme in all cultures with the exception of the C8S cell line which did not respond to IFN-gamma. IFN-alpha, beta was more effective than IFN-gamma. The amplitude of induction by IFN-alpha, beta was highest in the cell lines, intermediate in cortical astrocytes and lowest in mixed and neurone-enriched cultures from the cerebellum.