Inhibition of the intracellular transport of influenza viral RNA by actinomycin D

Abstract

In primary chicken embryo cells infected with fowl plague virus addition of actinomycin D at defined times during the infection cycle has different consequences on viral replication. If actinomycin D is added immediately after infection with a concentration, which inhibits viral RNA synthesis only partially, it interferes with the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of all viral RNA species (mRNA and vRNA) so far tested. If actinomycin D is present during infection (adsorption, penetration and uncoating) no viral RNA is synthesized, and the nucleocapsid of the infecting virus does not reach the nucleus, as shown by fluorescent antibodies. Therefore the primary effect of actinomycin D on influenza virus replication is on the transport of the incoming vRNPs from the cytoplasm to the cell nucleus, which is the cell compartment where transcription takes place.