Presence of an abnormal β2-microglobulin mRNA in Daudi cells: Induction by interferon

Human α and β interferons increase the amount of class I human histocompatibility messenger RNA HLA-A, B, C and β2-microglobulin in most human cells studied to date. This report concerns the effect of interferons on the Burkitt lymphoma-derived cell line Daudi, which does not express HLA-A, B, C antigens or β2-microglobulin on its membrane. HLA-A, B, C messenger RNA present in Daudi cells is increased by both α and β interferons. Furthermore, we have shown that although it was not possible to detect mature β2-microglobulin protein in the cytoplasm or on the cell membrane of Daudi cells, a poly A+ messenger RNA is present in Daudi cells, which hybridizes with a cDNA clone specific for human β2-microglobulin. This abnormal messenger RNA is, however, increased normally by interferon. These effects were also observed with human interferon β on a variant of Daudi cells characterized by a markedly reduced sensitivity to anti-proliferative and anti-cellular effects of human interferon α.[/p]