Interferon-β Enhances the Synthesis of a 20,000-Dalton Membrane Protein: A Correlation with the Cessation of Cell Growth

Interferons (IFNs)-α and -β but not -γ enhance the synthesis of a protein in the membranes of Daudi cells. This protein has an estimated molecular weight of 20,000 (20 kD). Furthermore, the 20-kD protein is enhanced only in the membranes of cells whose growth can be inhibited by IFN-β (Daudi, WISH, HL-60, diploid fibroblasts) but not in the membranes of cells whose growth is not inhibited by IFN-β (Namalva, Raji). These data suggest a correlation between the IFN-β-enhanced 20-kD membrane protein and the inhibition of cell growth by IFN-β.