A Comparison of Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Viral RNAs Synthesized Early in Productive Infection with Adenovirus 2

Abstract

This chapter discusses that during the early phase of infection with adenoviruses, prior to the onset of viral DNA synthesis, a limited portion of the genome is expressed as cytoplasmic mRNA. The genome sites coding for the adenovirus 2 mRNAs have been determined by hybridization of viral RNA with specific viral DNA fragments. The segments of the genome coding for individual viral mRNA species shows the set of viral DNA fragments produced by cleavage with endo R.Eco R1. It reviews that to compare the nuclear and cytoplasmic RNAs transcribed from early genes, nuclear RNA was prepared from cultures labeled with ( 3 H) uridine, and cytoplasmic RNA was obtained from cultures incubated in the presence of 32 P. The nuclear and cytoplasmic RNAs were mixed and subjected to electrophoresis in gels containing 98% formamide. The RNA from each gel slice was eluted and then hybridized to specific DNA fragments. This procedure allows a direct comparison of the size distribution of nuclear and cytoplasmic viral RNAs transcribed from specific genes.