The Genetics of Interferon Action

Abstract

As is the case for interferon production being under cellular genetic control, the actions of interferon are also under cellular genetic regulation, in this case the inducer of the actions being interferon itself. It will be described in detail in Sections IX and X that the interferon must induce new cellular messenger RNA and protein synthesis for cells to become refractory to viruses (Lockart, 1964; Taylor, 1964) and to develop some of the non-antiviral functions, and the cell nucleus must be present at the time of interferon treatment but not afterwards (Radke et al., 1974; Young, Pringle, and Follett, 1975). Thus it has been possible to employ the same basic approaches that were described in Section V to determine the cellular chromosomal compliments necessary for response to interferon. These, again, include studies in hybrid cells whose parents produce interferons with different host-ranges which have eliminated different chromosomes and involve making correlations with presence or absence of specific chromosomes and sensitivities to the interferons. After such studies show such correlations it is also possible to perform genedosage experiments in aneuploid cells with abnormal numbers of particular chromosomes. Again, it is necessary to interpret such data carefully, for as described for studies on genetic controls of interferon production (Section V), numerous epigenetic factors can modulate interferon sensitivities of cells or their abilities to express antiviral or non-antiviral actions.