Double-stranded RNA-dependent phosphorylation of protein P1 and eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha does not correlate with protein synthesis inhibition in a cell-free system from interferon-treated mouse L cells.

The double-stranded RNAs (I)n X (C)n and (A)n X (dUfl)n (dUfl is 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylic acid) have been compared as inhibitors of translation in cell-free systems from interferon-treated mouse L cells and from rabbit reticulocytes. In the interferon-treated mouse L-cell system, both double-stranded RNAs stimulated kinase activity, leading to phosphorylation of protein P1 and eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF-2 alpha), but only (1)n X (C)n activated the (2'-5')-oligoadenylate synthetase. Moreover, in this system, (I)n X (C)n, but not (A)n X (dUfl)n, inhibited translation. Both (A)n X (dUfl)n and (I)n X (C)n also activated the rabbit reticulocyte kinase to phosphorylate protein P1 and eIF-2 alpha, but, in contrast to mouse L-cell systems, both (A)n X (dUfl)n and (I)n X (C)n were potent inhibitors of translation in reticulocyte lysates. These results indicate that protein P1 and eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation are not sufficient to cause inhibition of protein synthesis in interferon-treated mouse L-cell extracts. They further suggest that protein synthesis inhibition by (I)n X (C)n in extracts of interferon-treated L cells correlates better with activation of (2'-5')-oligoadenylate synthetase than with activation of the protein P1 and eIF-2 alpha kinase.