The action of recombinant bovine interferons on influenza virus replication correlates with the induction of two Mx-related proteins in bovine cells.

Recombinant bovine interferon-alpha and -gamma differ in their action against influenza virus on bovine cells. Bovine IFN-alpha severely impairs early protein synthesis and replication of influenza virus in bovine cells in contrast to bovine IFN-gamma which fails to induce an antiviral state against influenza virus. Otherwise the IFN system seems to function normally in bovine cells since both bovine IFN-alpha and -gamma induce an antiviral state against vesicular stomatitis virus. The establishment of the specific antiviral state against influenza virus correlates with the induction by bovine IFN-alpha, but not -gamma, of two cytoplasmic proteins related to the IFN-induced mouse protein Mx involved in the mechanism of resistance of mice to influenza virus infection. This study suggests that bovines possess a system for resistance to influenza virus similar to the mouse Mx system.