Encephalomyocarditis viral RNA can be translated under conditions of poliovirus-induced translation shutoff in vivo

Translation of encephalomyocarditis virus RNA by internal ribosomal entry

Picornavirus 5' NCRs contain IRES elements that have been divided into two groups, exemplified by PV (type 1) and EMCV (type 2). These elements are functionally related and have an intriguing level of structural and sequence similarity. Some conserved RNA sequences and/or structures may correspond to cis-acting elements involved in IRES function, so that there may also be similarities in the mechanism by which the two types or IRES promote initiation. The function of both types of IRES element appears to depend on a cellular 57 kDa polypeptide, which has been identified as the predominantly nuclear hnRNP protein PTB. However, a specific function for p57/PTB in translation has not yet been established. These two groups can be differentiated on the basis of their requirements for trans-acting factors. The EMCV IRES functions efficiently in a broader range of eukaryotic cell types than type 1 IRES elements, probably because the latter require additional factor(s). A second distinction between these IRES element is that initiation occurs directly at the 3' border of type 2 IRES elements, whereas a nonessential spacer of between 30 nt and 154 nt separates type 1 IRES elements from the downstream initiation codon.

Treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells with the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D inhibits binding of messenger RNA to ribosomes

Inhibitors of RNA synthesis such as actinomycin D, MPB, and cordycepin progressively inhibit the initiation of protein synthesis in intact, nucleated mammalian cells. This inhibition is not dependent on the levels of mRNA, ribosomes, or tRNA. Lysates prepared from CHO cells treated with actinomycin D do not incorporate labeled globin mRNA or ovalbumin mRNA into 80S initiation complexes at the rates of untreated control extract. The ability of the extracts to produce and accumulate 48S preinitiation complexes was assessed using the 60S subunit joining inhibitors edeine and 5'-guanylyl imidodiphosphate. Control extracts were able to accumulate both the 48S preinitiation complexes and the migration-related intermediates in the presence of both inhibitors. However, lysates derived from CHO cells treated with actinomycin D were unable to produce these complexes. This was also true at low temperature, a condition that does not inhibit mRNA binding but prevents migration of the 43S complex along the mRNA. Mixing experiments with extracts from untreated control or AMD-treated CHO cells provided no evidence for a translational inhibitor. Thus, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that treatment of whole cells with actinomycin D inhibits protein synthesis initiation at the level of mRNA binding and not at migration or 60S subunit joining.

Inactivation of cap-binding proteins accompanies the shut-off of host protein synthesis by poliovirus

Infection of HeLa cells with poliovirus results in a rapid shut-off of host protein synthesis. It has been suggested that inactivation of a protein that binds to the cap structure of cellular mRNAs would explain the selective inhibition of host protein synthesis because the naturally uncapped poliovirus RNA can be translated by a cap-independent mechanism. To test directly for the presence of cap-binding proteins in poliovirus-infected and mock-infected cells, we analyzed initiation factor preparations for their ability to specifically crosslink to the 5' cap structure of oxidized reovirus mRNA. The data presented here show that the crosslinking ability of the different cap-binding proteins (24-, 28-, 32-, 50-, and 80-kilodalton polypeptides) is reduced in preparations from poliovirus-infected as compared to mock-infected cells. This reduction correlates with the inability of initiation factor preparations from infected cells to restore translation of capped mRNAs in extracts of poliovirus-infected cells. In addition, initiation factor preparations from poliovirus-infected cells have the ability to rapidly inactivate cap-binding proteins and can also impair the restoring activity of initiation factors from mock-infected cells.