Replication of Mengovirus II. General Properties of the Viral-Induced Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase

Abstract

Plagemann, Peter G. W. (Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio), and H. Earle Swim. Replication of mengovirus. II. General properties of the viral-induced ribonucleic acid polymerase. J. Bacteriol. 91:2327-2332. 1966.-Mengovirus induces the appearance of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase activity in Novikoff hepatoma cells which is readily distinguished from the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-dependent RNA polymerase since it is not inhibited by actinomycin D or deoxyribonuclease, but is inhibited by ammonium sulfate, and is stable at -17 C. The incorporation of uridine into RNA by infected cells in the presence of actinomycin D does not reflect the viral polymerase activity as measured in cell-free preparations. The viral-induced RNA polymerase is produced in a biphasic fashion. Puromycin inhibits the production of viral polymerase, and in its presence the enzyme appears to be unstable between 4 and 6 hr. Puromycin also prevents the secondary rise in polymerase which begins at the end of replicative cycle. Under these conditions, however, the polymerase appears to be stable. The overall data indicated that some unspecified process is responsible for the apparent instability of viral-induced RNA polymerase between 4 and 6 hr and that it becomes inoperative toward the end of the replicative cycle.