Protein synthesis in pox-infected cells treated with interferon

Abstract

Incorporation of labeled amino acids into total protein is rapidly inhibited in Vaccinia-infected L-cells. This inhibition is enhanced after pretreatment with mouse interferon. In chick embryo fibroblasts, even at a multiplicity of infection of 50 PFU/cell, the incorporation of radioactive amino acids is only gradually inhibited and homologous interferon has no influence on the rate of protein synthesis inhibition. In interferon-treated CEF (1000–2000 units/ml), virus-specific proteins can no longer be detected by immunological techniques. Also, at least one of the viral DNases is not induced in these cells after interferon treatment. In contrast, in interferon-treated L-cells (1000–3000 units/ml) synthesis of Vaccinia virus-specific proteins is still detectable at very early stages of infection (1–2 h.p.i.). At later stages (2–4 h.p.i.), immunodiffusion failed to show the presence of virus-specific proteins in interferon-treated L-cells. This inhibition of viral protein synthesis is likely to be connected to the enhanced cytopathic effect of Vaccinia virus-infected and interferon-treated L-cells.