Kinetic and metabolic studies on the priming effect of interferon in L cells

In cultures primed by interferon pretreatment before stimulation by polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid interferon was detected one hour earlier, its production followed and enhanced pattern and became resistant to actinomycin D 30 min sooner than in unprimed cultures. The kinetics of development of the primed state was found to be a time-and dose-dependent phenomenon. The continuous presence of interferon during the pretreatment period was not required for the development of the primed state. Actinomycin D at a concentration inhibitory for nuclear RNA synthesis did not influence the development of priming. Higher concentrations of the drug and long term alpha-amanitin or cycloheximide pretreatments, inhibitory for heterogeneous nuclear RNA synthesis, prevented the establishment of the primed state.