Changes of chromatin conformation around mouse interferon-beta gene associated with induction of interferon synthesis.

Changes of chromatin structure around the mouse interferon-beta gene associated with induction were examined by the use of sensitivity to digestion with DNaseI. Upon induction, the DNaseI-sensitivity of mouse interferon-beta gene was increased and seven DNaseI-hypersensitive sites were mapped. One of them, which was located at approximately 100bp upstream and was insensitive in the uninduced state, showed a marked sensitivity upon induction. Four others, located at 580bp and 430bp upstream, and 1.9kb and 2.2kb downstream, whose levels of DNaseI-sensitivity were very low in the uninduced state, showed significant sensitivity in the induced state. Two remaining sites, located at 7.5kb upstream and 7.6kb downstream, had relatively high DNaseI-sensitivities even in the uninduced state and slightly increased their sensitivities upon induction.