Rubella Virus: Role of Interferon during Infection of African Green Monkey Kidney Tissue Cultures,

Summary African green monkey kidney cell cultures infected with low or high multiplicities of rubella virus were found to produce small or large amounts of interferon respectively. Following high multiplicity infection of these cell cultures with rubella virus there was continuous production of virus and interferon over a period of 38 days. Infected cell cultures also developed cellular resistance which was characterized as interferonlike by its broad antiviral effect against many viruses and by its inhibition by dactinomycin (actinomycin D). The sensitivity of rubella virus to monkey interferon was substantially greater than that of vesicular stomatitis virus. Rubella virus yield decreased when lower virus inputs were used. This appears to have been due to interferon production during early virus growth cycles. These facts suggest that much of the observed inhibition of homologous and heterologous virus could be accounted for by the amount of interferon produced, the degree of resistance induced, and the high sensitivity of rubella virus to the interferon system. The findings also suggest that persistent infection of African green monkey kidney cultures by rubella virus is associated with persistent activity of the interferon system.