Expression of human fibroblast interferon gene in Escherichia coli

The human fibroblast interferon gene was inserted in a thermoinducible expression plasmid under control of the phage lambda PL promoter. The primary translation products predicted on the basis of the plasmid constructions were hybrid proteins starting with beta-lactamase or phage MS2 polymerase information followed by the total preinterferon. On induction, antiviral activity, whose physico-chemical, immunological and biological characteristics closely corresponded to those of authentic human fibroblast interferon, was synthesized. Processing to a size compatible with mature but unglycosylated authentic product was observed.