Cellular RNA is not degraded in interferon-treated HeLa cells after poliovirus infection

A drastic inhibition of protein synthesis occurs in HeLa cells treated with human lymphoblastoid interferon and infected with poliovirus. At the time when this inhibition has been established no degradation of ³²P-labelled ribosomal RNA can be detected. Isolation of the mRNAs from poliovirus-infected cells plus or minus interferon treatment, followed by translation in a reticulocyte lysate indicates that cellular mRNAs remain active. These results suggest that gross degradation of cellular RNA does not occur in interferon-treated poliovirus-infected HeLa cells and that a non-specific nuclease induced by 2′–5′ A is not responsible for the inhibition of protein synthesis observed.