Interferon Production by Nonviral Stimuli of Microbial Origin

An increasing number of nonviral materials of microbial origin has been reported to stimulate the production of interferon in cell cultures and (or) in animals. These materials include (a) gram-negative bacteria or the endotoxins prepared from their cell walls, (b) other microorganisms such as Rickettsiae, Bedsoniae, Protozoa, and (c) fungal products such as a mannan from Candida and various antibiotics which act as protein synthesis inhibitors, e.g., glutarimide antibiotics and tenuazonic acid. A summary is presented of the current state of knowledge about interferon production in animals by the most thoroughly studied nonviral substance of microbial origin, bacterial endotoxin. Further evidence is presented which clearly distinguishes the "endotoxin-type" of interferon response in animals from the response seen after the injection of virus. The data suggest that the release of preformed interferon from the tissues occurs in animals injected with endotoxin. On the other hand, interferon produced in response to the injection of virus is newly synthesized protein. While the exact chemical structure of the component of bacterial endotoxin responsible for interferon release has not yet been elucidated, it is clear that the lipid portion of the lipopolysaccharide, rather than the O-specific polysaccharide side chains or the core polysaccharide, is the active moiety.