Haller O, Arnheiter H, Gresser I, Lindenmann J
J Exp Med. 1981 Jul 1;154(1):199-203. doi: 10.1084/jem.154.1.199.
The efficacy of interferon in antiviral protection of newborn mice differing at the Mx locus was investigated. Adult mice bearing the allele Mx exhibit a high degree of specific resistance toward lethal challenge with influenza viruses. In contrast, newborn Mx carriers are virtually as susceptible to influenza viruses as newborn mice devoid of Mx. Resistance can be abrogated by treating adult animals with anti-interferon serum. Here, we provide direct evidence of a virus-specific effect of interferon in vivo: newborn mice carrying the resistance gene Mx could be protected against lethal influenza virus infection with doses of interferon that were not protective in the absence of Mx. The efficacy of interferon towards a picornavirus (encephalomyocarditis virus) and a rhabdovirus (vesicular stomatitis virus) was independent of Mx.
研究了干扰素对Mx位点不同的新生小鼠抗病毒保护的功效。携带Mx等位基因的成年小鼠对流感病毒致死性攻击表现出高度的特异性抵抗力。相比之下，新生的Mx携带者对流感病毒的易感性几乎与没有Mx的新生小鼠一样。用抗干扰素血清处理成年动物可消除其抵抗力。在此，我们提供了干扰素在体内具有病毒特异性作用的直接证据：携带抗性基因Mx的新生小鼠可用一定剂量的干扰素保护，使其免受致死性流感病毒感染，而在没有Mx的情况下这些剂量并无保护作用。干扰素对一种小RNA病毒（脑心肌炎病毒）和一种弹状病毒（水疱性口炎病毒）的功效与Mx无关。
