This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fantuzzi, L. Articles by Belardelli, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fantuzzi, L. Articles by Belardelli, F.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Virol., 06 1996, 4121-4124, Vol 70, No. 6
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Induction of interleukin-12 (IL-12) by recombinant glycoprotein gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in human monocytes/macrophages: requirement of gamma interferon for IL-12 secretion

L Fantuzzi, S Gessani, P Borghi, B Varano, L Conti, P Puddu and F Belardelli
Laboratory of Virology, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.

We studied the effects of the gp120 glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 on the expression of interleukin-12 (IL- 12) in human monocytes and in monocyte-derived macrophages. Induction of the mRNA for both the p35 and p40 subunits of IL-12 was observed in both cell types after gp120 treatment. We then evaluated cytokine secretion by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which recognizes only the IL-12 heterodimer. No IL-12 was detected in monocytes/macrophages treated with gp120 alone. A consistent IL-12 secretion was found in macrophages primed with gamma interferon (IFN- gamma) and subsequently treated with gp120. Low levels of IL-12 were occasionally observed in IFN-gamma-primed monocytes stimulated with gp120. The greater response of macrophages than of monocytes to the priming effect of IFN-gamma was consistent with the finding that IFN- gamma induced a much stronger antiviral state to vesicular stomatitis virus in macrophages than in monocytes. These data indicate that gp120 is an inducer of IL-12 expression in monocytes/macrophages and that IFN- gamma is an essential cofactor for IL-12 secretion, especially in differentiated macrophages.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kirkley, J. E., Robey, F. A. (2004). Inhibition of U937 Cytokine Secretion by HIV-1 gp120 C4-Derived Peptide Constructs. Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers 19: 173-195 [Abstract]  
• Fantuzzi, L., Conti, L., Gauzzi, M. C., Eid, P., Del Corno, M., Varano, B., Canini, I., Belardelli, F., Gessani, S. (2000). Regulation of chemokine/cytokine network during in vitro differentiation and HIV-1 infection of human monocytes: possible importance in the pathogenesis of AIDS. J. Leukoc. Biol. 68: 391-399 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gosselin, J., TomoIu, A., Gallo, R. C., Flamand, L. (1999). Interleukin-15 as an Activator of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Antiviral Response. Blood 94: 4210-4219 [Abstract] [Full Text]