Proteins solubilized from frog virus 3 particles: effect on transcription

Abstract

The treatment of KB cells with viral proteins solubilized from frog virus 3 particles (SVE) induced a rapid shutoff of host RNA synthesis. The RNA polymerase activities of SVE-treated cells were drastically depressed, corresonding, at least for RNA polymerase B, to a decrease in the number of enzyme molecules. In vitro, SVE had no direct effect on RNA polymerases but was capable of binding with calf thymus DNA to form an SVE-DNA complex modifying the template capacity. The effect of SVE on a transcription system consisting of cell lysates would suggest that cytoplasmic factors are necessary for expression of the inhibitory capacity of SVE.