Reduction of the accumulation of viral mRNA and of cellular rRNA synthesis in MHV3-infected macrophages of resistant mice

Abstract

1. After MHV3 infection, only macrophages from resistant A/J mice partially restricted virus growth compared to those from susceptible BALB/c mice (2 logs of difference in virus titer). 2. Cellular ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) synthesis by MHV3-infected macrophages was decreased only in A/J mouse macrophages as indicated by accumulation of the 28S rRNA fraction. 3. The accumulation of viral messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) in MHV3-infected macrophages was also reduced in A/J mouse macrophages compared to BALB/c mice. 4. In pulse-chase experiments of viral protein synthesis, the appearance, glycosylation and cleavage of glycoprotein S, as well as the metabolism of nucleoprotein N were delayed in A/J mouse macrophages. 5. These data show that MHV3 infection of A/J mouse macrophages induced an imbalanced accumulation of the 28S fraction of rRNA. Furthermore the synthesis of mRNAs correlated with viral protein synthesis in both A/J and BALB/c macrophages, but was delayed in A/J mice. 6. These results suggest that the partial restriction of MHV3 replication in macrophages of resistant A/J mice may take place during or before the mRNA synthesis, although it is correlated with the appearance, glycosylation, cleavage and metabolism of viral proteins.