The synthesis and turnover of virus-specific polyadenylated RNA in polyoma-infected cells

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Mouse embryo cells infected with the 3049 strain of polyoma virus contain several fold more virus-specific, polyadenylated RNA beginning between 4 and 8 hours after the onset of viral DNA synthesis than do cells infected with wild-type virus (lpS). Following infection with either virus strain, there is an identical small but significant enhancement of the level of total polyadenylated RNA measured by binding of 125I-labeled RNA to poly(dT)cellulose. The polyadenylation of “early” virus-specific RNA is inhibited 85–90% by cordycepin resulting in an “early” RNA preparation which competes fully with polyadenylated “early” virus-specific RNA in the ternary complex assay. Utilizing the nonpolyadenylated “early” RNA, competition hybridization demonstrated that approximately 78% of the enlarged pool of “late” 3049 polyadenylated RNA and 72% of the “late” lpS pool consisted of sequences unique to the “late” period. No significant difference in the rate of decay of 3049 and lpS-specific, “late” polyadenylated RNA following actinomycin D block was found. Infection by either strain of polyoma virus did not alter the rate of decay of total polyadenylated RNA.