The differential effect of actinomycin D in normal and virus-transformed cells.

Actinomycin D (AMD) at concentrations up to 0,25 microg/ml shows a differential effect on cell RNA synthesis and on the replication of an influenza virus in normal and virally transformed cells, both functions being more resistant to AMD in the transformed cell. A possible explanation for these differences in AMD sensitivity is provided by the observation that isotopically labeled AMD is maintained at a lower concentration in transformed BHK 21/13 (BHK) cells. There is evidence that the decreased sensitivity of the transformed cells to AMD is a result of maintenance of a lower internal concentration of the drug, since a correlation exists for a number of polyoma virus-transformed clones between sensitivity to and uptake of AMD.