National Institute for Medical Research

Date:
1968
Reference:
PP/CRI/E/1/17/2
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: National Institute for Medical Research. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    3/10
    iW/¡ j U XJ u 3!ch Council 20 Park Crescent, London W1 telephone 01-63G 5422 o Wesdo London INTERFERON - A BIOLOGICAL RIDDLE At first sight the phenomena of the production and effects of interferon seem to make sense in a. broad biological way. Isaacs suggested - and there is increasing evidence for the suggestion - that virus nucleic acid in a cell triggers the synthesis of the protein interferon - which leaves that cell and enters others, rendering them resistant to virus infection. Even at this level there are anomalies - interferon, apparently preformed and detected by its antiviral effect, is released into the blood stream of animals receiving bac terial endotoxins and certain negatively charged large plastic molecules, e. g. pyran copolymers. Interferon production following virus infection may prevent the spread of the virus infection, but gram negative bacteria are not inhibited, though some intracellular organisms, including Plasmodia, may be. Isaacs conceived interferon as an ancient mecha,nism for preventing the disorganisa tion of a cell by the introduction of information encoded in foreign nucleic acid - this might apply to the first sort of mechanism, but is the second a separate mechanism, perhaps no more closely related to the first than trans plant immunity is to immoral immunity? If so, is its function related to antiviral activity or to something else? It might be helpful to build some theories of how nucleic acid, especially double stranded nucleic acid, stimulates interferon production. Might it combine with a repressor - if so, what sort of experiment would be needed to demonstrate this? Are there any general considerations which would suggest what part of the nucleic acid or polymer may be important in such a reaction and with what type of compound this key «tr upturp miirhf ? Art there any instances of similar phenomena occurring which might be used as models for interferon? It. is postulated that a protein is synthesised in intefferon-treated cells which must be present in a very low concentration and therefore nv-.; ?t be a very effective inhibitor of the translation of information in viral RNA, and yet it has little effect on cellular messenger RNA. It is uncertain what it does; there might be clues in recent work on the structure and mechanism of action of ribos oro es, or on the begin here sequences of messenger RNA. (CaN;- r.i suw Ta suggest thot rma nidi ne may inhibit poliovi rus multiplica tion by preventing the first stage of the duplication of RNA. ) Is the inhibitory protein unique, or are there analogous inhibitors for vertebrate or other cells, perhaps part of a mechanism to control the activity of other sorts of messenger RNA - but if so, what? Is it related to morphogenesis, control of secretions? Are such substances known to embryologists or biochemists?
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