Synthesis of human interferon by Xenopus laevis oocytes: two structural genes for interferons in human cells

Human fibroblasts and leukocytes produce interferons which may be distinguished by their antigenic and species specificity as well as by their molecular weight distributions. To elucidate the basis for these differences, we isolated mRNA from induced human fibroblasts and lymphoblastoid (Namalva) cells and studied the products of translation in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The mRNA from the respective cells yielded translation products, in oocytes, that were characteristic of the cells from which the mRNA was derived. We conclude that human cells contain at least two structural genes for interferon, coding for polypeptides differing in primary sequence. Fibroblasts synthesize a single species of interferon; lymphoblastoid cells synthesize two species, the fibroblast and leukocyte types.