To study specific properties of the human gamma-interferon (γ-IFN) receptor-like proteins of the highly virulent and low virulent strains of variola (smallpox) virus (VAR) recombinant plasmids determining synthesis of these proteins in E. coli cells have been constructed. The recombinant viral γ-IFN receptor-like proteins have been found to have high interferon-neutralising activity with regards to human γ-IFN but not murine γ-IFN and human α-IFN. The variola major and variola minor proteins under study do not differ in the efficiency of human γ-IFN antiviral activity inhibition.
