Regulation of synthesis of two immunologically distinct nucleic acid-dependent nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolases in vaccinia virus-infected HeLa cells.

The two nucleic acid-dependent nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolases, previously purified from vaccinia virus cores, were shown to be immunologically distinct enzymes. Antiserum prepared against purified phosphohydrolase I and antiserum prepared against purified phosphohydrolase II only neutralized the activity of that enzyme used as antigen. Both enzymes were induced in HeLa cells after vaccinia infection. DNA-cellulose chromatography was used to purify the two phosphohydrolases from the cytoplasms of infected cells. The enzymes were identified by their different substrate specificities, nucleic acid dependence, and neutralization with specific antiserum. A third chromatographically separable nucleic acid-dependent phosphohydrolase similar to phosphohydrolase I in substrate specificity but not neutralizable by antiserum to either phosphohydrolase I or II, was also isolated from infected cells. No nucleic acid-dependent nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase activity was detected by similar methods from uninfected HeLa cells. Formation of these virus-induced enzymes was prevented by actinomycin D and cycloheximide, indicating a requirement for de novo RNA and protein synthesis, respectively. The kinetics of induction and inhibition by cytosine arabinoside, an inhibitor of DNA synthesis, suggested that synthesis of the phosphohydrolases is a late viral function. Rifampin, an inhibitor of vaccinia virus growth which prevents virion assembly, had no inhibitory effect on the induction of the phosphohydrolases. This result was consistent with the finding that these enzymes exist in a soluble as well as in a particulate form in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Addition of another specific anti-poxviral drug, isatin-beta-thiosemicarbazone, to vaccinia-infected cells partially inhibited induction of the phosphohydrolases.