To identify genes induced during macrophage activation, a cDNA library was prepared from cultures of the RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cell line that had been treated with conditioned medium from mitogenstimulated spleen cells, and the cDNA library was screened by differential plaque hybridization. Eleven cDNA clones, designated CRG-1 through CRG-11, corresponding to mRNA species inducible in RAW 264.7 cells by the spleen cell conditioned medium, were isolated. Inductions were not blocked by cycloheximide. All of the mRNAs were inducible by gamma interferon, and some were also inducible by alpha and beta interferons, by lipopolysaccharide, by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, and by the calcium ionophore A23187. Sequencing of the cDNAs revealed that CRG-1, CRG-3, and CRG-5 are cDNAs of recently identified transcription factors IRF-1, zif/268, and LRF-1 respectively. As previously reported, CRG-2 and CRG-10 (MIG) encode new members of the platelet factor 4 family of cytokines. CRG-6 corresponds to a new member of a family of interferon-inducible genes clustered on mouse chromosome 1, CRG-9 corresponds to a prostaglandin synthase homolog, CRG-8 corresponds to P2-microglobulin, and CRG-4 corresponds to metallothionein II. CRG-11 contains sequences of a truncated LlMd repetitive element as well as nonrepetitive sequences. The nonrepetitive sequence of CRG-11 as well as the sequences of CRG-7 are not closely related to published sequences. The CRG genes and proteins are of interest because of their involvement in macrophage activation, because of their roles as mediators of the effects of gamma interferon and other pleiotropic agents, and because of their usefulness as tools for studying the signal pathways through which gamma interferon and other inducers exert their effects on gene and protein expression.Monocytes/macrophages play a central role in immune and inflammatory responses and as such are involved in the pathogenesis of disorders as diverse as atherosclerosis (7) and AIDS (24). Macrophages can be activated by endogenous cytokines such as interferons (IFNs) (54,61,71), granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (26), and tumor necrosis factor (61) as well as by exogenous factors such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (15) and muramyldipeptide (84). When activated, macrophages manifest enhanced capabilities in the presentation of antigens, phagocytosis, the killing of intracellular pathogens, and the killing of tumor cells (reviewed in reference 93). Macrophage activation is in large measure the result of the induction of genes by macrophage-activating factors, such as the induction of the genes for the major histocompatibility class II antigens (53, 66) and the Fc-y receptor-at (88) by IFN--y and induction of the tumor necrosis factor gene by LPS (5). It is likely, given the range and complexity of the responses in which macrophages participate, that many activation-related inducible genes have yet to be identified. Likewise, despite the identification of IFN and LPS receptors (2,82,89), the recognition of IFN-...