Studies of RNA isolated from Piptoporus betulinus as interferon inducer.

Crude RNA isolated from Piptoporus betulinus and two fractions of it obtained after the chromatography contain single-stranded RNA. The crude RNA, but not its chromatographic fractions, are resistant to the pancreatic RNA-ase. The crude preparation of RNA from P. betulinus contains beside ribose, considerable amounts of glucose, galactose and mannose. The crude RNA from P. betulinus induces in the human fibroblasts interferon with specific activity of 400 units per mg of protein.