Summary:
(Submitter supplied) Here we have used targeted RNA interference to suppress the expression of a number of key genes associated with IFN signalling in murine macrophages prior to activation. Genome-wide changes in transcript abundance caused by siRNA activity were measured using Affymetrix exon-arrays in the presence or absence of IFNγ stimulation. Transfection of murine bone-marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) with non-targeting (control) siRNA and 11 sequence-specific siRNAs was performed using a cationic lipid transfection reagent (Lipofectamine2000) prior to stimulation with IFNγ. The 11 genes targeted were Ifnb1, Irf3, Stat1, Stat2, Nkfb2, Irf5, Casp4, Ifi47, Lyn, Sod2, and Traf1. Total RNA was harvested from cells and gene expression measured on Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Exon 1.0 ST Arrays. Keywords: RNAi, stress response, macrophage, IFN, interferon, siRNA, lipofectamine, cytokine