Accumulation of poliovirus proteins in the host cell nucleus

Poliovirus (type 1, Mahoney) proteins were transported into the nuclei of HEp-2 cells, as demonstrated by means of electron microscopic autoradiography. Quantitative determinations of the proteins by electrophoresis showed that the relative amounts of precursor proteins (1a, 3b, 1b), of some of the intermediate polypeptides (3a, 3c, 5b, 2), and of one end product (VP1) were higher in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm. Other proteins (VPO, VP2, X, 4, 6a) were found in the same relative amounts in the nucleus as in the cytoplasm, whereas two proteins (VP3 and 6b) were excluded from the nucleus. The findings are discussed in view of the recently demonstrated inhibitory activity exerted by cytoplasmic extracts of poliovirus-infected cells on transcription in isolated nuclei of uninfected cells.