Regulated expression of the interferon-induced protein kinase p68 (PKR) by vaccinia virus recombinants inhibits the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus but not that of poliovirus.

A direct antiviral role of the interferon-induced human protein kinase p68 has been shown only against encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and vaccinia virus (VV). To determine if p68 kinase (PKR) has a broad antiviral effect, we have used coinfections between VV recombinants expressing p68 kinase under regulation of the lac I operator/repressor elements of Escherichia coli and two RNA viruses, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and poliovirus. In cells coinfected with VV recombinants and VSV, induction with isopropyl-B-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) of wild-type p68 kinase or a mutant lacking the dsRNA binding domain resulted in inhibition of both VV and VSV protein synthesis. This inhibition is not observed in cells infected with a catalytically inactive point mutant lys-arg296 of p68 kinase. When cells are coinfected with VV recombinants and poliovirus, induction of active p68 kinase resulted in a decrease in VV proteins but not in poliovirus proteins or poliovirus yields. Immunoblot analysis revealed that p68 kinase was expressed during mixed infections. Our results demonstrate a differential effect of p68 kinase on the replication of VV, VSV, and poliovirus. We suggest that in a particular virus-cell system, the different sensitivity of a virus to p68 kinase is probably due to levels of active enzyme.