Spontaneous production of human interferon.

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Abstract
Several established human lymphoblastoid lines were evaluated for abilities to produce interferons [which may be useful in antiviral or cancer therapy]. Some cell lines were able to produce interferon when induced with Newcastle disease virus or Sendai virus; others failed to produce detectable interferon when so induced. Several cell lines spontaneously produced interferon without induction. Spontaneously produced interferon was liberated by cells only during log growth phase, reaching levels ranging from about 10-1000 reference U/ml. The interferons produced by induced lymphoblastoid cells and the spontaneously produced interferons were all characterized as type I human leukocyte interferon by high levels of cross-species antiviral activities on bovine cells and by neutralization by antiserum to human leukocyte interferon but not by antiserum to human fibroblast interferon. Analysis by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gels revealed that spontaneously produced interferon was less size heterogeneous than human leukocyte interferon, migrating as a single band of activity with a peak at 20,000 daltons, whereas human leukocyte interferon contained peaks of major activity at 23,000 and 18,000 daltons and virus-induced Namalva lymphoblastoid cell interferon migrated predominantly as the 18,000-dalton form. Although neither virus-induced primary leukocyte interferon nor any of the virus-induced lymphoblastoid cell interferons were neutralized by antiserum to mouse interferon, all of the spontaneously produced interferons were neutralized by antiserum to mouse interferon. These data suggest significant structural similarities between the active cores of certain interferons from phylogenetically diverse animal species.