Nucleic acid biosynthesis in rat embryo cells infected with X14 or H-1 parvovirus.

Nucleic acid biosynthesis was studied in rat embryo cell (REC) cultures 48 hours after infection with X14 or H-1 parvovirus. The incorporation of 14C-formate and [6-(14C]-orotic acid into purines and pyrimidines of various was lowered after infection with these parvoviruses. 14C-Formate incorporation into acid-soluble thymine was greatly inhibited in H-1 virus-infected cells whereas it was slightly inhibited in X14 virus-infected cells. These results suggest that X14 virus-infected cells can carry out the biosynthesis of thymidylic acid utilizing some endogenous pyrimidine nucleotide (e.g. deoxycytidylic acid, via deoxyuridylic acid). In the infected cells, the nucleoplasmic RNA polymerase activity was strongly inhibited. This results suggests an interference by the two viruses with hosts RNA synthesis.