Expression of the anti-retrovirus action of interferon in human cells which exhibit a reduced number of receptors for interferon.

Abstract

The anti-viral and anti-cell fusion actions of human gamma interferon (IFN) were examined on human rhabdomyosarcoma cells and compared with the actions of IFN-alpha. Treatment of A204 and RD114-C1 cells with IFN-gamma resulted in significant inhibition of retrovirus production and cell fusions which were induced by Sendai virus, but IFN-gamma did not induce 2'-5' oligoadenylate (2-5A) synthetase or dsRNA-dependent protein kinase, and failed to inhibit EMC virus replication in RD114-C1 cells as previously observed on IFN-alpha treatment (Tomita, Y. et al. (1982) Virology 120, 258-263). Although IFN-gamma induced 56K protein more strongly than IFN-alpha in human transformed HEp-2, HeLa, RSa, IFr, and A204 cells, no significant induction of this protein was observed in RD114-C1 cells after IFN-alpha or IFN-gamma treatment. Specific bindings of 125I-labeled human IFN-alpha A to HeLa, A204 and RD114-C1 cell surfaces showed that the numbers of the binding sites on RD114-C1 cells were reduced to less than 22% of those on A204 cells. These results suggest that RD114-C1 cells exhibit a reduced number of receptors for IFN on the cell surface and that the receptors are functional for the expression of the anti-retrovirus and anti-cell fusion actions of IFN, but are not enough in number for expression of the anti-EMC virus action of IFN.