INCOMPLETE SIMIAN PAPOVAVIRUS SV40 : FORMATION OF NON-INFECTIOUS VIRAL ANTIGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF FLUOROURACIL

A study was made of the effects of 5-fluorouracil (FU) and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUDR) on the replication of the simian papovavirus SV40 in cercopithecus monkey kidney cells and on the production of virus antigen by these cells. Both drugs markedly suppressed the production of new infectious virus by SV40-infected cells. Synthesis of viral protein was also markedly suppressed by FUDR, but not by FU. In the presence of FU, infected cells produced large amounts of viral protein which were detected by the fluorescent antibody technique. The antigen was not distributed in a particulate fashion as in untreated cells. Diffuse virus antigen was observed in the nuclei of FU-treated cells, resembling the distribution of antigen near the end of the eclipse period in untreated, infected cultures. This stage of antigen production presumably preceded viral assembly. Virus particles with or without cores were rarely seen with the electron microscope in infected FU-treated cells, although large numbers of SV40 particles were readily visualized in untreated, infected cells. It appears that at least one antigenic protein of this papovavirus is synthesized abundantly in FU-treated cells, but is not assembled into virus shells in the presence of the inhibitor.