Permeability to inhibitors of protein synthesis in virus infected cells.

Infection of HeLa cells with different viruses induces permeabilization of the cell membrane to protein toxins such as alpha-sarcin. This phenomenon occurs with HeLa, KB, BHK-21 and L929 cells and EMC, SFV, VSV and Polio virus and is dependent on the ability of the virus to infect the cells. Inhibitors of endocytosis and lysosomotropic agents do not affect this process. Cells become sealed to the toxin approximately four hours after the infection. Sulfhydryl reagents impair cellular permeabilization to alpha-sarcin.