IRF-1 mediates upregulation of LMP7 by IFN-γ and concerted expression of immunosubunits of the proteasome

An immunoproteasome subunit low molecular weight protein 7 (LMP7) plays critical roles in major histocompatibility complex class I antigen processing; however, the mechanism for its expression has remained unclear. We demonstrate that interferon (IFN) regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) has a pivotal role in IFN-γ-dependent LMP7 expression, as was shown for the other two immunosubunits. A tetracycline-inducible system for IRF-1 revealed its function in the LMP7 expression, and a genomic region functionally interacting with IRF-1 was also determined. Furthermore, the role of IRF-1 in IFN-γ-inducible LMP7 transcription was confirmed by employing small interfering RNA experiments and IRF-1−/− mice. These results suggest that IRF-1 acts as a master regulator for the concerted expression of immunoproteasome components.