Kinetics of viral deoxyribonucleic acid, protein, and infectious particle production and alterations in host macromolecular syntheses in equine abortion (herpes) virus-infected cells.

Infection of exponential-phase suspension cultures of mouse fibroblast cells (L-M) with equine abortion virus (EAV) resulted in inhibition of cell growth and marked alterations in host metabolic processes. The synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid was inhibited within 4 hr after infection and was suppressed by more than 90% by the time of maximal virus replication (14 to 18 hr). The overall rate of protein synthesis, however, was similar in uninfected and virus-producing cells as determined by measurements of net protein and isotope incorporation. The time course of viral DNA and protein synthesis and assembly into mature virus was determined with the inhibitors 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) and cycloheximide, respectively. Thus, viral DNA synthesis was essentially completed at 14 hr, and viral protein and infectious virus synthesis was completed at 18 hr. Although the number of plaque-forming units (PFU) produced by FUdR-treated cells (10(3) to 10(4) PFU/ml) was at least 3 logs less than that produced by untreated cells, the yield of physical particles (as determined by electron microscopy) was approximately the same at 30 hr after infection. Besides being relatively non-infective, the particles produced in FUdR-treated cells appeared morphologically incomplete as they contained little or no nucleoid material.