We have studied neutralization of the antiviral activity of human fibroblast (IFN-beta) and immune interferon (IFN-gamma) by incubation with glycolipids (including the gangliosides GM1, GM2 and GM3, as well as various other glycolipids) and with the sialoglycoprotein, glycophorin. When 100 units/ml of IFN-beta were preincubated with 30-80 microM of the gangliosides, all antiviral activity was abolished. Similarly, 120 microM of glycophorin completely reversed the antiviral activity of 100 units/ml of IFN-beta. Glycolipids containing more than two sugars also showed moderate inhibitory effects. GM2 at a concentration of 200 microM almost completely inhibited the antiviral activity of 100 units/ml of IFN-gamma, but GM1, GM3 and glycophorin had only a moderate inhibitory effect. These results suggest that the terminal N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) residues of gangliosides and of glycophorin play an important role in the inhibition of IFN-beta, and that they may be similarly involved in the inhibition of IFN-gamma.