The production of interferon by animal viruses.

Abstract

The production of interferon by animal viruses is a response to the viral nucleic acid. At high multiplicity of infection the nucleic acid of the infecting virus is an adequate stimulus, while at lower multiplicities, viral nucleic acid synthesis is necessary for subsequent interferon formation. It is not known why viral nucleic acids are such effective interferon inducers, nor is it known how their presence within the cell leads to the formation of interferon. It is most likely that the presence of the viral nucleic acids within the cytoplasm leads to a change in the nucleus, resulting in the transcription and translation of the appropriate gene for interferon.