Fate of mRNA of L-cells infected with mengovirus.

Mengovirus infection of L-cells results in an inhibition of host protein synthesis which is detectable in vivo by a decreased rate of incorporation of radioactive amino acids into acid-insoluble material and by a concomitant reduction in polysome content. The inhibition of host protein synthesis occurs early in the infection cycle, at a time when there is little synthesis of viral proteins. In this paper the stability of polyadenylic acid [poly(A)]-containing mRNA of uninfected L-cells and cells infected with mengovirus is compared. Our results suggest that there is no increase in the rate of degradation of cellular mRNA upon virus infection. The continued integrity of host mRNA throughout infection was verified by acrylamide gel electrophoresis.