Correlation between the antiviral effect of interferon treatment and the inhibition of in vitro mRNA translation in noninfected L cells.

When noninfected L-cell suspension cultures are treated with interferon (specific activities superior to 10(6) reference units per mg of protein), the cell-free cytoplasmic extracts obtained are inactive for the translation of exogenous natural mRNAs. The dose-response curve shows that comparable amounts of interferon are required to produce a 50% reduction of Mengo virus multiplication in vivo and Mengo RNA translation in vitro. With higher doses of interferon, Mengo RNA translation is completely abolished, while poly U translation and endogenous protein synthesis are only slightly affected. The inactivation of Mengo RNA translation is reversible; after removal of interferon, normal translation activity is regained together with the ability to support Mengo virus multiplication. Fractionation of the cell-free extracts shows that the effect is localized in the fraction which can be washed off the ribosomes by high salt. These results establish that interferon induces a block in genetic translation in noninfected L cells.