Abstract
In cultured rat embryonic septal nuclei with adjacent basal forebrain, murine interferon-γ (IFNγ) produces a striking increase in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and mRNA. The effect of IFNγ on cholinergic differentiation is more potent in E14 cultures than in older cultures. IFNγ does not cause a change in the affinity of ChAT for choline, nor does it affect cell proliferation. Whereas IFNγ doubles neuronal cell number, the cholinergic cell number increases more than 7-fold. Ameboid microglia respond to IFNγ with the translocation of p91 to the nucleus. The action of IFNγ is not mediated by NGF or bFGF. The enhancement of cholinergic expression that occurs with increased cell density may be partly attributable to an endogenous IFNy-like molecule, since antibodies to IFNy offset the effects of increased cell density.
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