Inhibition of Sindbis virus replication in HeLa cells by poliovirus.

Concomitant infection of HeLa cells with poliovirus and Sindbis (SB) virus allowed replication of poliovirus only. The poliovirus-induced interference with the replication of SB virus was dependent partially on the multiplicity of SB virus used for infection. The observed interference was not sensitive to guanidine. Translation, but not replication of poliovirus, appears to be needed for the restriction of SB virus. Superinfection of SB virus-infected cultures with poliovirus was followed by inhibition of protein, but not by viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis. Polyribosomes present in SB virus-infected cells were disaggregated subsequent to superinfection. The nascent SB viral RNAs synthesized in cells subsequent to superinfection were not associated with the ribosomal structures. These results indicate that the block in protein synthesis, possibly at the level of initiation, may be the basis of the observed interference.