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A Novel, Quantitative Bioassay for Type I Interferon Using a Recombinant Indicator Cell Line

Bio/Technology volume 8, pages 1263–1267 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

We describe a specific and quantitative novel assay for biologically active human type I interferon (IFN), the MxR assay. It is based on a Vero cell line containing multiple copies of a hybrid gene consisting of the murine MX promoter, which is responsive to type I IFN, linked to the human growth hormone (hGH) transcription unit. Exposure of this cell line to IFN-α or -β for 12–48 hours results in the production of hGH that is measured by a commercially available radio-immune assay. The response to IFN-α is dose-dependent between 3 and 1000 units/ml. There is no response to TNF, IL-1 and a number of other cytokines and growth factors, and only a negligible response to IFN-γ.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Ricardo Lleonart

    Present address: Centre de Ingeniería Gen´tica y Biotecnología, Havana, Cuba

  2. Heidi Browning

    Present address: Biology Dept., Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

  3. Charles Weissmann: Corresponding author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Molekularbiologie I, Universität Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    Dieter Näf & Charles Weissmann

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  1. Ricardo Lleonart
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  2. Dieter Näf
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  4. Charles Weissmann
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Lleonart, R., Näf, D., Browning, H. et al. A Novel, Quantitative Bioassay for Type I Interferon Using a Recombinant Indicator Cell Line. Nat Biotechnol 8, 1263–1267 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1290-1263

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1290-1263

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