Spontaneous interferon production and Epstein-barr virus antigen expression in two human lymphoid cell lines and their somatic cell hybrids.

Two human lymphoid cell lines, Raji and Namalwa, and seven somatic cell hybrids between these two cells were tested for spontaneous interferon production. Namalwa and three of the hybrids produce interferon while the four other hybrids, like Raji, do not. Though the Namalwa line is relatively resistant to superinfection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), all hybrids are as susceptible to EBV as the Raji parent. High extracellular concentrations of interferon likewise had little effect on EBV superinfection of Raji or the hybrid cells and it is possible that Raji produces some factor that antagonizes the action of interferon to allow virus expression.