Inhibition of protein synthesis in mouse L cells by poly-L-ornithine

A snythetic polypeptide, poly-L-ornithine (pLo; average molecular weight, 13,000), inhibited protein synthesis in mouse L cells in suspension culture. The inhibition was dependent upon both the concentration of pLo and the cell density, and the dose for half-inhibition was correlated with the cell density. Cell viability remained high in the concentration range of PLo causing inhibition of protein synthesis. This inhibition was prevented by addiction of calf serum with pLo, but not by washing the treated cells with serum or a high concentration of salt. PLo had no effect on protein synthesis in a cell-free system prepared from L cells or rabbit reticulocytes. The polysome profiles of cells treated with pLo were similar to those of control cells. Experiments on the effect of interchange of the ribosomes and supernatants of control and pLo-treated cells showed that the ribosomes from pLo-treated cells were inactive. The inactivation of these ribosomes was partially prevented by the presence of 120 mM K+ in the medium during pLo treatment. The inhibition of protein synthesis by pLo, therefore, may result from the binding of pLo to the cell membranes, causing leakage of intracellular K+ and thus inactivating ribosomes.