Induction of c-Ha-ras gene expression by double-stranded RNA and interferon requirement.

The addition of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to NIH 3T3 cells led to an increase in the RNA levels of c-Ha-ras. The double-stranded configuration was required for the increase in c-Ha-ras mRNA levels, as heat-denatured dsRNA and single-stranded RNA did not have any effect. Nuclear run-on transcription experiments indicated that the increase in c-Ha-ras mRNA levels stimulated by dsRNA was due to transcriptional activation of the gene. The induction of c-Ha-ras gene expression by dsRNA was inhibited by anti-beta interferon antibodies, suggesting that interferon might mediate the induction.