Interferon enhances guanylate cyclase activity in human lymphoma cells

Treatment of the human Burkitt lymphoma derived cell line Daudi with electrophoretically pure human interferon α caused a rapid increase in the intracellular concentration of guanosine 3′,5′ cyclic-monophosphate (cyclic GMP). This increase was accompanied by an enhancement of guanylate cyclase activity in interferon-treated cells. No change in cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase was observed. However electrophoretically pure human interferon α was without effect on the guanylate cyclase activity of cell-free lysates of Daudi cells. This strongly suggests that the increase in the intracellular concentration of cyclic GMP in interferon treated cells is due to an activation of guanylate cyclase which is mediated via an interaction of interferon with its specific cell surface receptor.