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The Effect of a Murine Leukemia Virus on RNA Metabolism¹

Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, and Division of Microbiology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York 10016

RNA metabolism in the spleens of DBA/2 mice infected with a murine leukemia virus (Friend) was investigated. The spleen cells were tested in an in vitro system. Incorporation of uridine-¹⁴C into the RNA of spleen cells 4 days after the mice were inoculated with the virus was 4 times higher than that observed in normal spleen cell preparations. Subsequently, the incorporation of uridine-¹⁴C declined to control levels. RNA synthesis in both control and leukemic spleen cells was sensitive to the action of actinomycin D. RNA methylase increased in activity early after infection, reaching 3.5 times the control levels on the 5th post-inoculation day, and declining gradually to normal thereafter. Ribonuclease, on the other hand, declined to 25% of the normal activity by the 4th postinoculation day and remained at this level (or lower) throughout the course of the disease.

¹ Publication #2 on "Enzyme Studies in Virus-Induced Neoplasms." This work was supported, in part, by National Cancer Institute Grants CA 06657, CA 02062, and CA 08748 and the Health Research Council of the City of New York, Contract number U-1096 II C 2.

² Career Scientist, the Health Research Council of the City of New York.

Received 11/ 4/66. Accepted 3/14/67.