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J Virol. 1969 March; 3(3): 297-303
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Synthesis of Ribonucleic Acid in Cells Infected with LSc Poliovirus at Elevated Temperatures ¹

Department of Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802

ABSTRACT

The synthesis of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) was detected within 2 hr after infection with LSc poliovirus at 35 C. This RNA eluted as a single peak with 0.9 M NaCl on methylated albumin celite columns, was sensitive to ribonuclease, precipitated in the presence of 2 M LiCl, and had an S₂₀ value at 34 ± 2 in linear sucrose gradients. When cells were infected at 39 to 40 C, there was also early synthesis of RNA. However, 2 hr after infection this synthesis was drastically inhibited. The absence of net RNA synthesis at 39 to 40 C during the late stages of infection was not caused by rapid degradation of newly formed RNA, since the RNA produced between 1 and 2 hr at 39 to 40 C was still present 3.5 hr after infection. There was a 3 log₁₀ inhibition in the production of infectious virus when p-fluorophenylalanine was present in the medium at a concentration of 25 µg/ml. This concentration of analogue had little effect upon the production of viral polymerase and viral RNA. Virus grown in the presence of analogue at a concentration of 10 µg/ml exhibited increased heat sensitivity compared to control virus. However, viral polymerase exhibited no change in sensitivity to heat or manganese when cells were exposed to 25 µg of p-fluorophenylalanine per ml during infection. p-Fluorophenylalanine had a relatively selective effect on viral capsid protein but did not reverse the inhibition of synthesis of viral RNA at 39 to 40 C.

¹ This research was authorized for publication as paper no. 3413 in the journal series of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.