Failure of an influenza virus to initiate infection in enucleate BHK cells.

Studies employing indirect immunofluorescent staining, acrylamide gel electrophoresis of [(35)S]methionine-labeled cellular polypeptides, and RNA-RNA hybridization of [(3)H]uridine-labeled cellular RNA, failed to detect evidence of fowl plague virus infection of BHK cells enucleated with cytochalasin B, although virus-specific polypeptide and RNA synthesis was detected in nucleate BHK cells. The enucleate cells permitted the synthesis of Newcastle disease and vaccinia virus structural proteins. We conclude that influenza virus fails to initiate macromolecular synthesis in enucleate BHK cells, and the role of the nucleus in influenza virus replication is discussed.