Vaccinia virus stimulates the growth of vesicular stomatitis virus at the level of protein synthesis in mouse L cells.

Coinfection with vaccinia virus increases the growth of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in mouse L cells by 10- to 20-fold. Although vaccinia has no significant effect on RNA synthesis by VSV, VSV protein synthesis is dramatically stimulated by double infection. The enhancement of VSV growth is correlated with the ability of vaccinia to inhibit the VSV-mediated damage to the host translational machinery. Coinfection with vaccinia fails to stimulate the growth of a VSV mutant which is deficient in its ability to shut off protein synthesis during infection.