Foot-and-mouth disease virus proteinase 3C inhibits translation in recombinant Escherichia coli.

Escherichia coli cultures do not survive the expression of recombinant foot-and-mouth disease virus proteinase 3C. This effect is ascribed to degradation of bacterial protein(s), as concluded from the observation of gradual cessation of gene expression upon induction of 3C expression. Most likely, translation inhibition is the cause of bacterial death, as (i) cell-free translation of the 3C gene was restored by additional bacterial ribosomes, (ii) ribosomes from proteinase 3C-producing cells differed from normal ones by a reduced content of protein S18, and (iii) transcription was not inhibited.