REGULATION OF THE INTERFERON SYSTEM - EVIDENCE THAT VERO CELLS HAVE A GENETIC DEFECT IN INTERFERON-PRODUCTION

A clone of Vero cells was isolated and shown to be totally unable to synthesize interferon and insensitive to the toxic effect of poly(rI)-poly(rC) treatment. Cells of this clone and mouse L cells were fused by treatment with polyethylene glycol or Sendai virus. Hybrid cell clones were isolated following selection in medium containing hypoxanthine, thymidine and ouabain. The hybrids were sensitive to the antiviral effect of poly(rI)-poly(rC) and synthesized mouse, but not primate, interferon. It is proposed that in Vero cells, the gene for interferon synthesis is defective or absent.