Rubella virus interference and interferon production

An interference technique for the titration of rubella virus on primary rabbit kidney (PRK) cells using either vaccinia or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as challenge is described.Rubella virus passed and propagated on PRK-cells interfered with a challenge dose of either vaccinia virus or VSV given on the 7th day after inoculation. Concomitantly, interferon was demonstrated in these cultures in amounts up to 100 units per ml.The same strain of rubella virus passed on a continuous rabbit kidney cell line (RK13) induced no interferon in PRK-cells. Yet it interfered equally well with a challenge of vaccinia virus or VSV.Under experimental conditions where no interferon could be detected, rubella virus growth inhibited the one-cycle multiplication of poliovirus-RNA, suggesting that interference resides at the intracellular level.Under the described experimental conditions the multiplication of rubella virus in PRK-cells was not inhibited by an amount of interferon 20 times higher than that necessary to inhibit vaccinia virus cytopathic effect in the same cell system.Aspirant of the Belgian N.F.W.O.Navorsingsstagiair of the Belgian N.F.W.O.