Genetic control of interferon action: mouse strain distribution and inheritance of an induced protein with guanylate-binding property.

Interferons (IFNs) induce in responsive cells the synthesis of various proteins including a set with high binding affinities to guanylates. These guanylate-binding proteins (GBPs) were analyzed in cells from 46 inbred mouse strains using GMP-agarose affinity chromatography. In cells of 11 strains, including A/J, BALB/cJ, and C3H/HeJ, type I and II IFNs induced the synthesis of a major GBP of Mr 65,000, designated here GBP-1, and of at least three minor GBPs. In contrast, cells of the remaining 35 strains, including DBA/2J, C57BL/6J, and A2G, failed to synthesize GBP-1 in response to both types of IFNs. Induction of the minor GBPs was comparable in cells of both groups of mice, confirming that they were all responsive to IFNs. Analysis of F1, F2, and BC1 offspring of crosses between GBP-1 inducible (A/J) and noninducible (DBA/2J or A2G) strains showed that inducibility of GBP-1 was inherited as a single autosomal gene. The symbol Gbp-1 is proposed for this locus, designated Gbp-1a for the allele causing inducibility and Gbp-1b for the other allele.