An announcement on interferon nomenclature has been published [1]. This is not a document of NC-IUB or JCBN but is noted here for information, as its contents are likely to be of interest to some readers of this Newsletter. The main recommendations are that the three main types of interferon genes should be designated IFN-a, IFN-b and IFN-g (italicized or underlined), with the corresponding proteins designated IFN-a, IFN-b and IFN-g (roman type or not underlined) respectively. Additional recommendations are made about representing modified interferons, but we note that not all of these recommendations are in accordance with the general JCBN recommendations for amino acids and peptides [2].
1. Announcement on Interferon Nomenclature: Arch. Virol. 77, 283-285 (1983); ASM News 50,68-69 (1984); Cell. Immunol. 80, 432-433 (1983); J. Biol. Response Modifiers 3, 226-228 (1984); J. Gen. Virol. 65, 669-670 (1984); J. Immunol. 132, 1058-1059 (1984); J. Interferon Res. 3, 377-378 (1983); Virology 132,462-463 (1984).
2. IUB-IUPAC Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature (JCBN): Nomenclature and Symbolism for Amino Acids and Peptides (Recommendations 1983), Biochem. J. 219, 345-373 (1984); Eur. J. Biochem. 138, 9-37 (1984); Pure Appl. Chem. 56, 595-624 (1984).
3. IUPAC-IUB Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature (JCBN), and Nomenclature Commission of IUB (NC-IUB),.Newsletter 1985, Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 1985, 238, 688-692; Biochem. Internat., 1985, 10, following p 128; Biochem. J., 1985, 225, I-IV; Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler, 1985, 366, 3-7; Biosci. Rep., 1985, 5, 185-188; Chem. Internat., 1984(7), 7-9; Eur. J. Biochem., 1985, 146, 237-239; Trends Biochem. Sci., 1984, 9; 1985, 10, various issues.