Reduction of N-myc expression by antisense RNA is amplified by interferon: possible involvement of the 2-5A system.

Expression of myc-box genes can be reduced by Interferon (c-myc in Daudi cells) or Retinoic acid (N-myc in neuroblastoma cells). Interferon did not reduce N-myc expression in neuroblastoma cells. However, after transfection of the human neuroblastoma cell line LS with a vector, providing the Cadmium inducible expression of an antisense N-myc transcript, drastic reduction of N-myc RNA was achieved in these cells by incubation with Cadmium and Interferon. Treatment with Cadmium alone resulted in a comparably small reduction of N-myc transcripts in these cells. Interferon alone did not appreciably affect N-myc expression. Reduction of N-myc was accompanied with reduced cell proliferation and morphological differentiation. It is assumed that most of the inhibitory effects observed are mediated by the Interferon inducible 2-5A system.