Specific residues within an amino-terminal domain of 35 residues of interferon alpha are responsible for recognition of the human interferon alpha cell receptor and for triggering biological effects.

Bovine interferon alpha C (IFN-alpha C) manifest at least 10(5)-fold lower antiviral activity on human cells than on bovine cells (Velan, B., Cohen, S., Grosfeld, H., Leitner, M., and Shafferman, A. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 5498-5504). By oligonucleotide site-directed mutagenesis within the coding region for the NH2-terminal 44-residue domain of BoIFN-alpha C, we replaced up to 18 residues by the corresponding HuIFN-alpha J1 residues. (HuIFN-alpha J1 is less than 60% homologous in sequence to BoIFN-alpha C.) The nine different bovine-human-IFN alpha hybrids obtained were compared to BoIFN-alpha C and HuIFN-alpha J1 with respect to their potential to induce an antiviral state, synthesis of 2-5A-synthetase, and their specific binding to human and bovine cells. Relative to BoIFN-alpha C, a gradual increase in biological activities (antiviral or 2-5A-synthetase) of approximately 10-, 10(2)-, 10(3)-, and approximately 10(4)-fold is obtained, depending on the number and positions of the residues substituted. A direct correlation exists between biological response and ability of IFN alpha to bind specifically to human cells. A BoIFN alpha molecule mutated in the 10-44 NH2-terminal domain was obtained which is 15, 8, and 35% as active as HuIFN-alpha J1 on human cells in specific binding, induction of antiviral, and 2-5A-synthetase activities, respectively. We concluded that at least 5 of the 12 residues at positions 10; 21, 22, 24; 27; 31, 34, 35, 37, 40; 42, 43 in the 10-44 NH2-terminal domain are critical for recognition of the human IFN-alpha cell receptor and for biological activity. These residues are found among 10 strictly conserved residues in all reported mammalian IFN alpha S, and they act in a cooperative manner to induce a biological response in human cells. The gap between the extent of improvement in binding capacity of the BoIFN alpha mutants on human cells and the corresponding biological response suggests that the primary signal of binding to the cell receptor is amplified within the cell. On bovine cells, HuIFN-alpha J1 and BoIFN-alpha C also compete for the same receptor, and it seems that at least part of the 10-44 NH2-terminal domain on IFN alpha is also involved in interaction with the bovine IFN alpha cell receptor.