Presence of an abnormal beta 2-microglobulin mRNA in Daudi cells: induction by interferon

Human alpha and beta interferons increase the amount of class I human histocompatibility messenger RNA HLA-A, B, C and beta 2-microglobulin in most human cells studied to date. This report concerns the effect of interferons on the Burkitt lymphoma-derived cell line Daudi, which does not express HLA-A, B, C antigens or beta 2-microglobulin on its membrane. HLA-A, B, C messenger RNA present in Daudi cells is increased by both alpha and beta interferons. Furthermore, we have shown that although it was not possible to detect mature beta 2-microglobulin protein in the cytoplasm or on the cell membrane of Daudi cells, a poly A+ messenger RNA is present in Daudi cells, which hybridizes with a cDNA clone specific for human beta 2-microglobulin. This abnormal messenger RNA is, however, increased normally by interferon. These effects were also observed with human interferon beta on a variant of Daudi cells characterized by a markedly reduced sensitivity to anti-proliferative and anti-cellular effects of human interferon alpha.