Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

The interferon system in the developing mouse embryo and in differentiating teratocarcinoma cells

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Barlow, Denise P. (1981) The interferon system in the developing mouse embryo and in differentiating teratocarcinoma cells. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

[img]
Preview
PDF
WRAP_Theses_Barlow_1981.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (9Mb) | Preview
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3170139~S15

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

A modified assay to detect interferon production from individual cells has been designed which is more accurate than those already described. Use of this modified assay has demonstrated that the difference between cell lines that can be induced to produce high yields of interferon, and those which are only capable of producing low yields of interferon, resides in the number of individual cells able to produce interferon in that culture. Thus the apparent homogeneous response of a cell culture to an interferon inducing agent, masks the heterogeneous response of the individual cells which make up that culture. This modified assay is probably sensitive enough to detect all cells capable of producing interferon within a given cell population; and the data presented in section one suggests that this assay can be used with confidence to assay interferon production in cell systems which only produce small amounts of interferon.

Cloned 'nullipotent' embryonal carcinoma (ec) cells, like the pluri- potent ec cells described by Burke et al (1978), do not possess an active interferon system, and it is proposed that such cells lack the ability to produce interferon mRNA in response to an interferon-inducing agent. When these 'nullipotent' ec cells are treated with retinoic acid they show an activation of the interferon system which extends for approximately ten to fifteen days. The extent of activation seen varied between different embryonal carcinoma cell lines. In these differentiating cultures there is a parallel increase, both in the percentage of individual cells able to produce interferon, and in the yield of interferon per producer cell. The percentage of single cells able to produce interferon always remained small compared to the non-producer cell3 in the culture. The pattern of development of interferon inducibility and sensitivity does not distinguish between the different types of endoderm-like cell generated by the various differentiating teratocarcinoma cell lines, nor can the amount of interferon produced by different cell lines be used to quantitate the extent of differentiation which has occurred. However, the activation of the interferon system; because it coincides with changes in morphology and in protein synthesis, can be used as an additional positive marker for the production of differentiated cells in this system.

The data presented in section three demonstrates that during the first third of pregnancy the embryo is unable to produce interferon in response to a virus infection, and furthermore suggests that the antiviral action of interferon may be non-specifically inhibited by the tissues of the reproductive system from the adult female mbuse. A functional interferon system develops during the seventh day of embryonic development, and the embryonic ectoderm and the visceral extra- embryonic endoderm are the last tissues to show a lack of interferon inducibility. Thus, the mouse embryo can be seen to become capable of mounting an interferon-based antiviral response during a period when it is unable to mount a humoral and cell mediated antiviral immune response. This factor may be of importance in the reduced susceptibility to the pathogenic effects of virus infections, which is a feature of the mid to late term mammalian embryo.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Subjects: Q Science > QR Microbiology > QR180 Immunology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Interferon, Interferon inducers, Mice -- Embryology
Official Date: December 1981
Dates:
DateEvent
December 1981Submitted
Institution: University of Warwick
Theses Department: Department of Biological Sciences
Thesis Type: PhD
Publication Status: Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: Burke, Derek ; Graham, C. F.
Sponsors: Wellcome Trust (London, England)
Format of File: pdf
Extent: xiii, 249 leaves : illustrations, charts
Language: eng

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us