Individual translational efficiencies of SV40 and cellular mRNAs.

The technique of selective inhibition of peptide chain initiation by growth medium hypertonicity was adapted for cell monolayer cultures and applied to a study of protein synthesis in SV40 infected BSC-1 cells. The translational efficiences for individual peptide chain initiation sites on SV40 mRNAs were determined and compared to those for cellular mRNA species under conditions of a reduced rate of peptide chain initiation. The SV40 mRNAs show different translational efficiences. The results indicate that the synthesis of the SV40 proteins VP1, 2 and 3 are initiated independently and with different rates on viral mRNA(s). It is proposed, therefore, that VP2 is not a precursor for VP3.