[Structure containing cellular mRNA in picornavirus infections]

The fate of cellular mRNA upon infection of Krebs-2 ascites carcinoma cells with encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus was investigated. The cell mRNA was discovered in a structure with a sedimentation coefficient of about 100S and a buoyant density of 1.50--1.519 g/cm3 during active virus-specific synthesis (3.0--4.0 hr post infection). The template activity of the 100S structure in a cell-free protein-synthesizing system and of mRNA isolated from it was studied and the nature of synthesized products was analyzed. It was shown that the 100S structure seems to be translationally inactive. On the contrary, the RNA isolated from its is functionally active.