The effect of double-stranded cowpea mosaic viral RNA on protein synthesis

The effect of double-stranded cowpea mosaic viral RNA on several in vitro protein synthesizing systems was studied. No inhibitory effect of this RNA at concentrations up to 16 mug/ml was found in wheat germ protein synthesis programmed with cowpea mosaic viral-, alfalfa mosaic viral- or globin 9 S-RNA. At high concentrations of this double-stranded RNA, inhibition of Escherichia coli in vitro protein synthesis programmed with MS-2- and cowpea mosaic viral-RNA was found, whereas at low concentrations its inhibitory effect on rabbit reticulocyte in vitro protein synthesis was strong. The implications of these observations for the suggestions of other authors, based on the study of mammalian protein synthesizing systems, are discussed.