Distinctive characteristics of crude interferon from virus-infected guinea-pig embryo fibroblasts

Crude interferon preparations from primary guinea-pig embryo cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus strain T1026R1 were shown to be more sensitive to heat (37 degrees C), pH 2.0, and SDS than crude mouse interferon. Since the proportion of antiviral activity lost after each treatment was nearly the same, the existence of a single fraction of antiviral activity sensitive to all three treatments was suggested. Support for this possibility was given by the finding that subjecting this guinea-pig interferon to any one of the treatments rendered it insensitive to the effects of the other two.