Open AccessExpression of the human fibroblast interferon gene in Escherichia coli.
Author(s) -
Tadatsugu Taniguchi,
Leonard Guarente,
Thomas M. Roberts,
David Kimelman,
John Douhan,
Mark Ptashne
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.77.9.5230
Subject(s) - escherichia coli , plasmid , gene , biology , enterobacteriaceae , fibroblast , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , gene expression , interferon , cell culture , genetics
We applied the method of Guarente et al. [Guarente, L., Lauer, G., Roberts, T.M. & Ptashne, M. (1980) Cell 20, 543-553] to construct plasmids that direct expression in Escherichia coli of the human fibroblast interferon (F-IF) gene. Two plasmids were recovered. One directs efficient synthesis of a protein whose primary sequence is that of pre-F-IF and the other, that of mature F-IF. Extracts of bacteria synthesizing mature F-IF display antiviral activity characteristic of human F-IF. This activity is lower than that expected from the differential rate of synthesis of the protein. We have detected no such activity in extracts of bacteria synthesizing pre-F-IF.