Synthesis of virus-specific ribonucleic acid in KB cells infected with type 2 adenovirus

Synthesis of complementary RNA sequences during productive adenovirus infection

Liquid RNA.DNA hybridization with separated strands of adenovirus type 2 DNA revealed that late nuclear RNA can hybridize to about 85% of the 1-strand and 10-15% of the h-strand, whereas late cytoplasmic RNA hybridizes to 65-70% and 25% of the l- and h-strand, respectively. With separated strands from the six EcoRI fragments of adenovirus type 2 DNA as probes, it was shown that late nuclear RNA hydridizes to 85-90% of the l-strand from all six EcoRI fragments. Since late cytoplasmic RNA hybridizes to 40-50% of the h-strand from both fragments EcoRI-B and EcoRI-C, complementary viral RNA sequences are synthesized during adenovirus infection. Complementarity between nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA could also be demonstrated by showing that late cytoplasmic RNA which had been preincubated with late nuclear RNA hybridized to a smaller fraction of the h-strand of fragment EcoRI-C than without preincubation. Double-stranded RNA which contains sequences that correspond to at least 60% of the viral genome was isolated from infected cells. However, less than 2% of the newly synthesized late RNA became double-stranded after incubation under annealing conditions, which suggests that RNA derived from one of the strands is present at a low concentration. Accordingly, it was shown that nearly all viral cytoplasmic RNA which is synthesized late after infection is derived from the l-strand.

Localization of adenovirus 2 messenger RNA's to segments of the viral genome defined by endonuclease R-R1

Adenovirus 2 mRNAs synthesized in productive infection were assigned to specific regions of the genome by hybridization to unique fragments of viral DNA. Radioactive viral RNA synthesized early or late in infection was first fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Eluted RNAs were then tested for complementary hybrid formation with each of the six fragments of adenovirus 2 DNA generated by cleavage with endonuclease R.R1. Early RNA species migrating as 13S, 19S, and 20S RNAs were identified as transcription products of fragments A, B, and D, respectively. In addition to the 13S RNA transcribed from A fragment DNA, 13S RNA also hybridized to the D and E fragment DNAs; 11S RNA annealed to both A and B fragments. The RNA that hybridized to fragment C DNA was heterogeneous in size. Viral RNA synthesized late in infection included 27S, 24S, 19S, and 11S size classes, all of which annealed to A fragment DNA. Additional RNA migrating as 24S hybridized to E and C fragment DNA, and 23S RNA annealed to F fragment DNA. The results of the hybridizations of size fractionated RNAs with viral DNA fragments enabled formation of a partial map of viral mRNAs with respect to the adenovirus 2 genome. Some of the viral RNAs may represent transcripts which overlap R1 cleavage sites, because in at least three instances hybridization revealed viral RNAs which have the same electrophoretic mobility and anneal to fragments that are contiguous on the genome.

Two classes of cytoplasmic viral RNA synthesized early in productive infection with adenovirus 2

The RNA sequences and RNA size classes transcribed early in productive infection with adenovirus 2 were analyzed by RNA-DNA hybridization. Two independent procedures demonstrated that early cytoplasmic viral RNA is composed of two sequence classes, class I which is absent or present in greatly reduced quantities at 18 h, and class II which persists throughout the infection. When the sequences in early viral RNA were analyzed by hybridization-inhibition studies, the hybridization of early [(3)H]RNA was inhibited only 50% by RNA from cultures harvested late (18 h) in infection. Liquid hybridizations with radioactive viral DNA confirmed that early RNA includes two classes. Duplex formation of RNA with (32)P-labeled viral DNA was assayed by hydroxylapatite chromatography and resistance to S(1) nuclease digestion. Both methods showed that the cytoplasmic RNA present early in infection annealed 12 to 15% of the viral DNA; late cytoplasmic RNA hybridized 21 to 25% of the DNA. Mixtures of early plus late cytoplasmic RNAs hybridized 30 to 34% of the viral DNA, demonstrating the reduced concentration of early class I RNA in the late RNA preparations. Experiments were performed to correlate class I and class II early RNA with size-fractionated cytoplasmic RNA synthesized early in infection. Fractionation of RNA by gel electrophoresis or sucrose gradient centrifugation confirmed three major size classes, 12 to 15S, 19 to 20S, and 26S. Total cytoplasmic RNA and RNA selected on the basis of poly(A) content contained the same size classes of viral RNA. In standard electrophoresis conditions, the 19 to 20S viral RNA could be resolved into two size classes, and the distribution of 12 to 15S RNA also indicated the presence of more than one size component. Hybridization-inhibition studies under nonsaturating conditions were performed with 26S, 19 to 20S, and 12 to 15S viral RNAs fractionated by gel electrophoresis. Late RNA inhibited the hybridization of 26S RNA only 20%, 19 to 20S RNA was inhibited 45%, and 12 to 15S RNA was inhibited 50%. When 18 to 19S and 12 to 15S viral RNAs purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation were similarly analyzed, late RNA inhibited hybridization of 18 to 19S RNA 50%, and the annealing of 12 to 15S RNA was inhibited 70%.

Effect of cycloheximide on RNA metabolism early in productive infection with adenovirus 2

The presence of cycloheximide during the early phase of adenovirus 2 replication causes an increase in the virus-specific content of newly synthesized mRNA. The total cytoplasmic RNA from control cultures labeled 2 to 5 h after infection hybridized to viral DNA 0.8%, whereas RNA synthesized in the presence of cycloheximide annealed 6%. Cytosine arabinoside, an inhibitor of DNA synthesis, did not affect the percent hybridization to viral DNA. Oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography was used to purify the portion of cytoplasmic RNA containing poly(A). The poly(A)-containing RNA from cultures labeled in the presence of cycloheximide hybridized to viral DNA 32% as compared to 2.2% for RNA from control cultures. Hybridization-inhibition experiments between RNAs from control- and cycloheximide-treated cultures demonstrated that the cultures treated with cycloheximide did not have an increased content of viral RNA or a new class of viral RNA sequences. Therefore, the increased hybridization appears to be caused by a reduction in synthesis of cellular cytoplasmic mRNA. Nucleoplasmic RNAs lacking and containing poly(A) were annealed to viral DNA. For both classes, RNA from cultures treated with cycloheximide hybridized 5- to 10-fold more than RNA from control-infected cultures. Therefore, the increased hybridization of cytoplasmic RNA synthesized in the presence of cycloheximide is caused either by reduced transcription of the cellular genome or by greatly increased instability of cellular heterogeneous nuclear RNA.

Studies of nondefective adenovirus 2-simian virus 40 hybrid viruses. IX. Template topography in the early region of simian virus 40

The DNAs of the five nondefective adenovirus 2 (Ad2)-simian virus 40 (SV40) hybrid viruses contain overlapping segments of the early region of wild-type SV40 DNA. The complementary DNA strands of these five viruses have been separated with synthetic polyribonucleotides in isopycnic cesium chloride gradients. The relative amounts of early and late SV40 template in the DNA of each virus were determined by RNA-DNA hybridization with late lytic SV40 RNA, which contains sequences complementary to both templates. From the distribution of early and late templates in the five overlapping SV40 segments, we conclude that either the entire early region of SV40 is symmetrically transcribed in vivo, or, more probably, that the early SV40 templates are not contiguous.

Relationship of mRNA from productively infected cells to the complementary strands of adenovirus type 2 DNA

The complementary strands of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) DNA were separated by buoyant density gradient centrifugation with poly (U, G). The complementary strand DNA was shown to remain intact through the course of strand separation. The l-strand of Ad2 DNA, appearing in the less dense complex with poly (U, G) in neutral CsCl density gradients, was shown to have a buoyant density in alkaline (pH 12.5) CsCl density gradients which is 2 to 3 mg per ml greater than that of its complement (h-strand). Renaturation of purified complementary strand DNA was observed only in mixtures of h- and l-strand DNA, and then with the second-order reaction rate expected for Ad2 DNA. Hybridization of the complementary strands of Ad2 DNA with cytoplasmic mRNA isolated from infected HeLa cells was performed in liquid phase and analyzed by hydroxylapatite chromatography. Before viral DNA synthesis (6 h after infection), 13 to 18% of the h-strand and 30 to 35% of the l-strand were represented in viral mRNA. Late (18 h) after infection the mRNA represented 20 to 25% and 63 to 68% of the h- and l-strands, respectively. Most, if not all sequences present in viral mRNA before viral DNA synthesis were also present in the cytoplasm late in infection.

Transcription and transport of virus-specific ribonucleic acids in African green monkey kidney cells abortively infected with type 2 adenovirus

The techniques of deoxyribonucleic acid-ribonucleic acid (DNA-RNA) hybridization and immunological precipitation were used to compare the synthesis of adenovirus-specific macromolecules in African green monkey kidney (AGMK) cells infected with adenovirus, an abortive infection, and coinfected with both adenovirus and simian virus 40 (SV40), which renders the cells permissive for adenovirus replication. When viral protein synthesis was proceeding at its maximum rate, the incorporation of (14)C-amino acids into adenovirus structural proteins was about 90 times greater in the doubly infected cells than in cells infected only with adenovirus. However, the rates of synthesis of virus-specific ribonucleic acid appeared to be comparable in the two infections at all times measured. A time-dependent increase in the rate of RNA synthesis observed late in the abortive infection was dependent upon the prior replication of viral DNA. Moreover, all virus-specific RNA species that are normally made late in a productive adenovirus infection (i.e., the true late and class II early RNA species) were also detected in the abortive infection. Adenovirus-specific RNA was detected by molecular hybridization in both the cytoplasm and nuclei of abortively infected cells. Comparable amounts of viral RNA were found in the cytoplasmic fractions of AGMK cells infected either with adenovirus or with both adenovirus and SV40. The results of hybridization-inhibition experiments clearly showed that there was a class of virus-specific RNA molecules, representing about 30% of the total, in the nucleus that was not transported to the cytoplasm. This class of RNA was also identified in similar amounts in productively infected human KB cells. The difference in the abilities of cytoplasmic and nuclear RNA to inhibit the hybridization of virus-specific RNA from whole cells was shown not to be due to a difference in the molecular size of the RNA species from the two cell fractions or to the specific loss of a cytoplasmic species during RNA extraction procedures.

Isolation and characterization of adenovirus messenger ribonucleic acid in productive infection

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) from cells productively infected with adenovirus type 2 was isolated by affinity chromatography on polyuridylic acid [poly (U)] bound to Sepharose. At least 90% of the polyadenylic acid [poly (A)]-containing polysomal mRNA was retained by the poly (U) Sepharose and thus separated from more than 95% of the ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA. In these experiments, 65% of the early (3 to 5 hr postinfection) and 85% of the late (14 to 16 hr postinfection) virus-specific RNA was retained by the poly (U) Sepharose. Early in the infection 18%, and late in the infection more than 95%, of the poly (A)-containing fraction, eluted from the poly (U) Sepharose with 90% formamide, was adenovirus-specific, as shown by exhaustive hybridization. Different patterns, containing several distinct species of viral mRNA, were detected early and late in the infectious cycle. No distinct viral mRNA lacking poly (A) was discovered.

Transcription of the herpes simplex virus genome in human cells

We have examined the details of the transcription of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) genome in HeLa cells using deoxyribonucleic acid-ribonucleic acid (DNA-RNA) hybridization. The following findings are reported. (i) Virus-specific RNA (vRNA) synthesized following onset of HSV-DNA replication (L-vRNA) is complementary to as much as 90% of the HSV genome. (ii) There is no significant class of virus-specific RNA synthesized later than L-vRNA. (iii) The vRNA synthesized prior to HSV-DNA replication (E-vRNA) is composed of two classes; one class comprising 75% of the total E-vRNA is found in large amounts as early as 45 min after infection, whereas the other class making up the other 25% of E-vRNA is found in only small amounts at 1.5 hr after infection. This second class of E-vRNA is found in amounts comparable to the first by 3.5 hr after infection. (iv) Inhibition of HSV-DNA synthesis results in the continued synthesis of E-vRNA, but there is no synthesis of L-vRNA. (v) Finally, there is no class of vRNA found in the nucleus that is not found associated with cytoplasmic polyribosomes either early or late after infection.

Synthesis of viral ribonucleic acid during restricted adenovirus infection

The mechanism by which simian virus 40 converts the abortive adenovirus type 7 infection of monkey cells into an efficient lytic infection has been investigated. Analysis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis during unenhanced and enhanced infection of monkey cells has shown that adenovirus RNA synthesized in the abortive infection contains both "early" and "late" sequences. In hybridization competition experiments, early adenovirus RNA from human cells prevented the hybridization of only 20% of the adenovirus RNA transcribed in unenhanced infection. Further, the RNA from unenhanced cells was able to completely block the hybridization of RNA synthesized during enhanced infection. Finally, virus-associated RNA, which is a late RNA transcribed in lytic adenovirus infection, is also produced in the unenhanced infection. An accompanying paper describes a marked deficiency in adenoviral capsid protein synthesis in the unenhanced infection. We conclude that RNA sequences, which are sufficient to code for the synthesis and assembly of structural proteins of adenovirus, are transcribed but are not efficiently translated in the unenhanced adenovirus infection of monkey cells.

Structure and function of the polypeptides in simian virus 40. II. Transcription of subviral deoxynucleoprotein complexes in vitro

A deoxynucleoprotein complex (DNP-1) isolated from simian virus 40 (SV40) after disruption of the virus in an alkaline buffer contains the viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and four minor structural polypeptides. Dissociation of DNP-I by equilibrium centrifugation in CsCl yields a complex (DNP-II) that contains a small amount of polypeptide tightly bound to the viral DNA. Studies of the template activity of these deoxynucleoprotein complexes in vitro with Escherichia coli transcriptase show that the rate of transcription of DNP-I and DNP-II is 30 and 80%, respectively, compared with that of deproteinized SV40 DNA component I. In dimethyl sulfoxide gradients, the complementary ribonucleic acid (cRNA) synthesized from DNP-I is one-third to one-half the size of the cRNA species from DNA-I and DNP-II. Competition hybridization experiments show that with the E. coli transcriptase only a portion (about one-half) of the SV40 genome is transcribed with DNP-I as template, whereas most or all of the genome is transcribed with DNP-II as template. The template activity of the deoxynucleoprotein complexes with a highly active form II ribonucleic acid polymerase prepared from SV40-infected permissive cells follows similar transcription kinetics. The results indicate that structural nucleoproteins of SV40 bind nonrandomly to the viral DNA and effect the transcription of some subset of its sequences in vitro.

Transcription of the adenovirus genome by an -amanitine-sensitive ribonucleic acid polymerase in HeLa cells

The properties of the ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase activity which transcribes the major portion of the adenovirus genome were studied. Nuclei were prepared from infected cells and incubated in vitro. Virus-specific RNA was determined by hybridization to adenovirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Adenovirus DNA is transcribed principally by an activity which resembles closely polymerase II of the host cell. This activity is inhibited by alpha-amanitine and stimulated by (NH(4))(2)SO(4). Its product is high-molecular-weight heterogeneous RNA. The polymerase activity measured early in infection (3 to 5 hr) resembles that found late in infection (16 to 18 hr).