Inhibition of adenovirus replication by canavanine

Canavanine added in 100-fold excess over arginine to adenovirus type 7-infected human embryonic kidney cells prior to the onset of viral DNA replication prevented the synthesis of adenovirus DNA, viral capsid components and virions, but not of virus-specific tumor (T) antigens. Canavanine added at later times partly inhibited the synthesis of DNA and capsid components and completely blocked the assembly of both into virions. ¹⁴C-canavanine, added at a 0.75:1 ratio to arginine, was incorporated into viral structural proteins and into virions.