DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF INHIBITORS ON THE STEPS LEADING TO THE FORMATION OF SV40 TUMOR AND VIRUS ANTIGENS

The effect of DNA antagonists and various antibiotics on steps in the synthesis of SV40 virus in green monkey kidney cells was investigated. Both the early forming tumor (T) antigen, as well as the later synthesized virus (V) antigen, were synthesized in the presence of fluorouracil and iododeoxyuridine. Cytosine arabinoside (and fluorodeoxyuridine in starved cells) prevented synthesis of V antigen but not T antigen. The synthesis of T antigen therefore does not require synthesis of virus DNA. Virus particles formed only in the presence of the iododeoxyuridine and they were non-infectious. Actinomycin D inhibited synthesis of both tumor and virus antigens, suggesting that the synthesis of these antigens involves DNA-dependent RNA. Puromycin allowed synthesis of the T antigen which remained localized at the nucleolar membrane. This finding with puromycin suggests that the T antigen is a protein of low molecular weight. Virus antigen forming in the presence of mitomycin C, p-fluorophenylalanine, iododeoxyuridine, or fluorouracil was distributed atypically. These inhibitors caused the V antigen to be diffusely spread throughout the nucleus, or to be concentrated at the nuclear membrane.