Interferon-beta enhances the synthesis of a 20,000-dalton membrane protein: a correlation with the cessation of cell growth.

Interferons (IFNs)-alpha and -beta but not -gamma enhance the synthesis of a protein in the membranes of Daudi cells. This protein has an estimated molecular weight of 20,000 (20 kD). Furthermore, the 20-kD protein is enhanced only in the membranes of cells whose growth can be inhibited by IFN-beta (Daudi, WISH, HL-60, diploid fibroblasts) but not in the membranes of cells whose growth is not inhibited by IFN-beta (Namalva, Raji). These data suggest a correlation between the IFN-beta-enhanced 20-kD membrane protein and the inhibition of cell growth by IFN-beta.