Interferon produced by rainbow trout gonadal cells (RTG-2) was partially purified. The physical, chemical, and biological properties of this in vitro produced fish cell interferon were studied. Purification was achieved by ultracentrifugation, molecular sieve gel chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point of RTG-2 interferon, as determined by CM-Sephadex (C-0O) chromatography, was 7.1. Filtration through Sephadex G-150 showed that RTG-2 interferon had a molecular weight of 94,000. The partially purified material was not sedimented at 105,000 x g for 2 h at 4 C. The fish cell interferon was non-dialyzable and exhibited heat and pH stability. The partially purified material was inactivated by treatment with trypsin or 2-mercaptoethanol, but was resistant to treatment with deoxyribonuclease or ribonuclease. RTG-2 interferon which was induced by infectious pancreatic necrosis virus exhibited antiviral activity against challenge with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus or infectious pancreatic necrosis virus. Partially purified RTG-2 interferon exhibited greater species specificity than the crude material.

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A new continuous line of goldfish somatic cells, designated SJU-1 has been continuously subcultured over a 39-month period. Best growth was obtained at 20" C over a pH range of 6.8-7.2. The minimal and optimal seed inocula, in terms of per cent cell increase, were determined to be 1.1 x 10' and 2.5 x lo8, respectively. The susceptibility of the SJU-1 line to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus offers an available assay system for goldfish in vivo and goldfish cells in vitro interferon studies. Chromosomal analyses of the line were also carried out.

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