Defect of adenovirus type 12 replication in hamster cells: absence of transcription of viral virus-associated and L1 RNAs.

The nonpermissive interaction of hamster cells with human adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) is characterized by a total block of Ad12 DNA replication and late transcription, whereas most of the early functions of Ad12 DNA can be transcribed. Ad2 can replicate in hamster cells. The replication and late transcription defects of Ad12 DNA can be complemented to a certain extent by the E1B functions of Ad2 DNA. This complementation fails, however, to lead to the synthesis of the late Ad12 proteins and to the assembly of infectious virions. It will now be demonstrated that the Ad12 L1 (late genes of group 1) and virus-associated (VA) RNAs are not transcribed in hamster cells. Synthesis of these RNAs in productively infected human cells or Ad2-infected hamster cells is readily detectable by S1 nuclease protection experiments and Northern (RNA) blotting. Similarly, the Ad2-transformed hamster cell line BHK-Ad2E1 fails to complement L1 and VA RNA syntheses after superinfection with Ad12. However, Ad12 infection of the Ad5-transformed hamster cell line BHK297-C131 leads to the transcription of the Ad12 L1 and VA segments. This difference in complementation by the two transformed hamster cell lines might be accounted for by functions in the segment of Ad5 DNA extending between map units 30 and 40 and persisting in the Ad5-transformed hamster cells or by hamster host cell functions which might be operative in cell line BHK297-C131 but not in BHK-Ad2E1 or BHK-21 hamster cells.