ACTION OF QUAIL AND CHICKEN INTERFERONS ON A QUAIL CELL-LINE, QT35

Production of interferon (IFN) in quail cells (QT35) and the activity of quail IFN and heterologous avian IFN (chicken) on QT35 cells were e xamined, Quail cells produced IFN after induction by bluetongue virus serotype 10; chicken and quail IFN conferred antiviral resistance on t he quail cells, Both chicken and quail IFN induced increased levels of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2',5'-GAS) in QT 35 cells and reduce d levels of intracellular Salmonella typhimurium postchallenge. These results indicate that quail cells produce IFN and respond to homologou s and heterologous avian IFN as evidenced by enhanced (1) resistance t o viral infection, (2) production of 2',5'-GAS, and (3) resistance to invasion by bacteria, QT35 quail cell monolayer cultures offer an alte rnative to primary chicken embryo fibroblasts cultures used for avian IFN studies.