Resistance of visna virus to interferon

Visna is a slow infection of sheep caused by a retrovirus. The persistence of virus despite the immune response of the host is best explained by restricted genetic expression of the virus and consequently prolonged periods of residence inside cells. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the restriction in genetic expression of visna virus is mediated by interferon. Sheep interferon induced by polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid in fetal lambs inhibited the growth of herpes simplex virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and vaccinia virus, but even highly concentrated interferon did not affect the replication of visna virus in sheep choroid plexus cells. The same results were obtained whether the effects of interferon were assessed in single of multiple cycles of growth and when interferon was added at later times in the growth cycle of the virus. This unusual resistance of visna virus to interferon suggests that restriction of viral expression by the host is probably not mediated in this way.