Inhibitory effect of interferon on the genetic and oncogenic transformation by viral and cellular genes.

The rodent established cell lines LTk- and NIH 3T3 have been used as recipients in gene transfer experiments to study the effect of interferon treatment on the genetic and oncogenic transformation by several genes of viral and cellular origin. Our results show that interferon severely inhibits, to a similar extent, the stable transformation of Ltk- and NIH 3T3 cells by the chicken thymidine kinase (tk) gene, Ecogpt gene, simian virus 40, v-Ha-ras, and human c-Ha-ras and c-Ki-ras oncogenes. These results are consistent with an inhibition by interferon at the level of stabilization or integration, or both, of exogenous DNA sequences in the recipient cells, with an apparent effect on gene expression.