Induction of interferon in L cells by reoviruses.

L cell cultures challenged with reoviruses types 1 and 3 produced little to no detectable interferon under conditions which permitted virus replication and under conditions which prevented replication of a temperature-sensitive mutant strain of reovirus type 3 (ts-1). Ultraviolet-irradiated reoviruses and double-stranded ribonucleic acids extracted from purified reovirus type 3 also induced little to no interferon in L cell cultures. Under similar conditions, MM virus proved to be an effective inducer of interferon. Exposure of L cells to interferon prior to challenge with virus (priming) failed to enhance interferon production upon subsequent challenge with reovirus although priming increased the amount of interferon produced following MM virus challenge. L cell cultures that were challenged with reovirus type 3 and subsequently with either MM or Colorado tick fever viruses produced similar titers of interferon as cell cultures that were challenged with either MM or Colorado tick fever virus alone, respectively. These data show that the presence of production of reovirus type 3 double-stranded ribonucleic acid is not sufficient for induction of interferon in L cell cultures and that additional processes which are required for induction of interferon in L cell cultures are not expressed by reovirus type 3.