The inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in encephalomyocarditis virus-infected L929 cells: effects on nucleoside transport.

Picornavirus infection induces a profound inhibition of labelling of newly synthesized RNA in some cell lines. EMC virus blocks transcription in L929 cells, particularly at early times during infection. This inhibition is not dependent on virus gene expression, since it occurs with UV-inactivated virus and also in the presence of translation inhibitors. The inhibition can be largely accounted for by the blockade of [3H]nucleoside transport, as suggested by the transport kinetics and incorporation of labelled nucleoside from preloaded cells. The inhibition of transport and incorporation into TCA-precipitable material was observed with pyrimidine (uridine, thymidine and cytosine) and purine nucleosides (adenosine and guanosine), but the blockade by EMC virus was higher with the latter nucleosides. Preloading of cells with any of these nucleosides resulted in a decreased effect on nucleoside incorporation into nucleic acid after virus infection. These results suggest that the inhibition of incorporation of labelled nucleosides into nucleic acid in EMC virus-infected cells can be explained, at least in part, by the decreased pool size of the phosphorylated nucleosides. These effects are not specific for L cells, because they are also observed in other cell lines.