RNA methylation in vaccinia virus-infected chick embryo fibroblasts treated with homologous interferon.

Interferon-pretreatment of vaccinia-infected chick embryo fibroblasts resulted in a greater than 50% decrease in ribose methylation of the penultimate "cap" nucleotide in virus-specific mRNA. However, in contrast to results obtained with cell-free systems, in intact infected cells there was (a) no detectable reduction in methylation of the 5'-ultimate m7G of viral mRNA; (b) a virus specificity of the interferon-induced change in mRNA "CAP"-methylation seems unlikely and (c) analysis of the ribosomal and transfer RNA fractions isolated from interferon-treated and control cells revealed identical patterns of methylated nucleotides. Thus, the interferon-induced change in methylation is specific for mRNA "CAPS".