Burkitt's cells can be triggered by teleocidin to secrete interferon-γ

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Abstract
The secretion of interferon (IFN)-γ by T lymphocytes is mediated by the synthesis of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and the availability of IL-2 receptors. Since some Burkitt's lymphoma lines express Tac antigen and can be triggered to secrete IL-2 following activation with the new tumor promoter teleocidin, we addressed the question of whether the induction of IL-2 by B lymphocytes is accompanied by the induction of IFN-γ. IFN-γ has not been detected in any of the 25 cell lines studied, and following stimulation with teleocidin, we triggered the synthesis of IFN-γ in JLP(C), a pre-Burkitt's cell line. The mechanism of IFN-γ secretion by B lymphocytes is not clear. Our findings demonstrate that the synthesis of IL-2 by B cells is not accompanied by IFN-γ and suggest that the synthesis of IFN-γ is not mediated by IL-2 or IL-1 or B-cell growth factor. Neutralization studies have shown that IFN-γ secretion is not accompanied by the induction of IFN-α or IFN-β. Our data imply that B cells can be triggered to secrete IFN-γ under certain circumstances. Whether similar function occurs in vivo is not known.