The Regulation of Proopiomelanocortin Gene Expression by Immune System Peptides
Abstract
Viral or bacterial infection challenges the immune system, one of the primary responses being an alteration in the circulating levels of immune cytokines. These cytokines play a role in coordinating the cellular immune response. More recently, it has been hypothesized that cytokines also have potential effects on cells outside the immune system (such as those in the central nervous system) which may ultimately feed back to affect the response of the immune system. One of the important responses may be in cells which express the neuropeptide and stress-related genes, proopiomelanocortin (POMC) proenkephalin, and prodynorphin. These genes encode peptides essential to the stress response and function of the CNS including ACTH, Beta-endorphin, enkephalin, and dynorphin. Recently, we have demonstrated a very high level of expression of the proenkephalin gene in glial cells of the CNS specifically astrocytes. Furthermore, we have found that cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 1 simulate proenkephalin expression while gamma-interferon inhibits expression. These results suggest that cytokines regulate the expression of a glial cell opioid gene, which in turn may dramatically influence neural functioning and the capacity to respond to the stress of infection.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 02, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA240291
Entities
People
- Michael H. Melner