The Effects of Cytochalasin and Colchicine on Interferon Production

The present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of interferon production by mouse spleen cells co-cultivated with BHK-HVJ cells, i.e. baby hamster kidney cells persistently infected with the HVJ (or Sendai) strain of parainfluenza 1 virus. Cytochalasin B appears to inhibit an early stage in the process and colchicine a relatively late stage. It is suggested that microfilaments and microtubules may play an important role at an initial stage of interferon production in this system.