Bacterial Induction of Beta Interferon in Mice Is a Function of the Lipopolysaccharide Component

We investigated the reason for the inability of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-resistant (Lps-defective [Lps(d)]) C57BL/10ScCr mice to produce beta interferon (IFN-β) when stimulated with bacteria. For this purpose, the IFN-β and other macrophage cytokine responses induced by LPS and several killed gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in LPS-sensitive (Lps-normal [Lps(n)]; C57BL/10ScSn and BALB/c) and Lps(d) (C57BL/10ScCr and BALB/c/l) mice in vitro and in vivo were investigated on the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was used as a nonbacterial stimulus. LPS and all gram-negative bacteria employed induced IFN-β in the Lps(n) mice but not in the Lps(d) mice. All gram-positive bacteria tested failed to induce significant amounts of IFN-β in all four of the mouse strains used. As expected, all other cytokines tested (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1α [IL-1α], IL-6, and IL-10) were differentially induced by gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Stimulation with dsRNA induced IFN-β and all other cytokines mentioned above in all mouse strains, regardless of their LPS sensitivities. The results suggest strongly that LPS is the only bacterial component capable of inducing IFN-β in significant amounts that are readily detectable under the conditions used in this study. Consequently, in mice, IFN-β is inducible only by gram-negative bacteria, but not in C57BL/10ScCr or other LPS-resistant mice.