Interferons (IFNs), in addition to inducing an antiviral state in uninfected cells, are able to affect cell physiology, including cell differentiation. In this respect hematopoiesis is certainly the area in which most data have accumulated. In general IFN-alpha or -beta inhibit cell growth of normal progenitors of hematopoietic lineages. In leukemia cell cultures IFNs may either stimulate or inhibit cell growth and differentiation. We report here different biological effects of murine (mu) IFN-alpha 1, -beta, and -gamma species on the erythroid differentiation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-induced Friend leukemia cells. Treatment with mu recombinant IFN-beta enhances DMSO-induced FLC differentiation, whereas treatment with IFN-alpha 1 species as well as with natural and recombinant mu IFN-gamma preparations only inhibits it. All these observed effects are neutralized by monoclonal antibodies against IFN-alpha, -beta, and -gamma species. When mu fibroblast IFN (a mixture of alpha and beta species) was used, the inhibitory effect attributable to IFN-alpha was partly overshadowed by the simultaneous presence of a majority of IFN-beta molecules exerting the opposite effect. This is in agreement with data obtained neutralizing fibroblast IFN preparations with excess amounts of monoclonal antibodies against IFN-beta (G.B. Rossi et al., 1988, "The Status of Differentiation Therapy of Cancer," Raven Press, New York) and with our previous reports indicating that mu fibroblast IFN can either enhance or inhibit DMSO-induced differentiation when administered at low (less than 500 U/ml) or high (greater than 5000 U/ml) doses, respectively. The inhibitory effect of IFN-alpha 1 on cell differentiation is not linked to any inhibitory effect on cell growth. Results obtained analyzing the effect of IFN-alpha 1 and -beta on various IFN-resistant FLC clones indicate that different mechanisms underlie the stimulatory effect of IFN-beta and the inhibitory effect of IFN-alpha 1. These results shed light on possibly distinct physiological roles of the various species of IFNs.