The influence of temperature on interferon in cell cultures of homoiothermic and heterothermic mammals.

Subnormal temperature was found to depress the production of interferon by cultures of fibroblasts of homoiotherms and heterotherms after virus or poly I.poly C induction. However, in comparison to human (HEF) and mouse (MEF) fibroblasts (homoiotherms) induced with NDV-R or poly I.poly C, interferon production in fibroblasts of spotted sousliks (SL) (heterotherm) and in the aneuploid line of mouse origin (L929) exhibits a greater cold resistance. In contrast to HEF and MEF cells in SL and L929 cells interferon was produced even at 21 degrees C after induction with NDV-R and at 26 degrees C after induction with poly I.poly C. A comparison of alpha and gamma interferon production by mouse and spotted souslik leukocytes did not reveal such distinct differences. At a low temperature (26 degrees C) the production of NDV-R induced interferon was depressed, but it was higher after induction with LPS in both types of leukocytes. PHA and Con A induced interferon was produced in both types of leukocytes only at 37 degrees C. These data confirm that alpha, beta and gamma interferon induction is triggered by different mechanisms and suggest a resistance to cold of beta interferon production in heterothermic animals.