Interferon-induced early changes in nuclear protein interactions with the interferon consensus sequence.

A number of genes are transcriptionally regulated by interferons via a cis acting regulatory element (interferon consensus sequence). After incubation with HeLa cell nuclear extracts, a synthetic 29 mers probe representing the consensus was retarded as a single band whose amount increased after the addition of IFN to the cells. DNase I footprinting showed that a region of the non coding strand was protected differentially upon interferon treatment. After nuclear protein blotting and probing with the oligonucleotide, two proteins (114 and 50 kDa) of the desired specificity were revealed. Their absolute and relative amounts do not appear to be dependent of the IFN treatment.