Detection of human beta-2 interferon using a radioimmunoassay.

Does the human "beta 2 interferon" (HuIFN-beta 2) mRNA of length 1.3 kb obtained from poly(I) X poly(C) and cycloheximide-induced human diploid fibroblasts (FS-4) code for an interferon per se, or for a protein which, in turn, induces IFN-beta in the cell culture assay that is usually used to detect the antiviral activity of the translation product (obtained from Xenopus laevis oocytes) of this mRNA? This question has been resolved by demonstrating that the IFN derived from the 1.3 kb mRNA can be detected by the direct assay of the oocyte translation product in a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay based on a high-affinity polyclonal antibody raised against N-terminal aminoacid sequence pure IFN-beta 1.