Interaction of viral RNA with Escherichia coli. II. Synthesis of poliovirus-specific RNA directed by poliovirus RF-RNA

Poliovirus double-stranded RNA (RF-RNA), purified from infected HeLa cells, adsorbs quantitatively to osmotically shocked E. coli in the presence of the polycations DEAE-dextran and poly-l-ornithine. At least 50% of the RF-RNA penetrates into E. coli. This amount of RF-RNA is recovered from the cells in a partially single-stranded and infectious state. Analysis by hybridization reveals that the single-stranded RNA fraction isolated from E. coli after exposure to poliovirus RF-RNA contains newly synthesized poliovirus-specific viral plus- and minus-strand RNA. As much as 30 μg of poliovirus-specific RNA (i.e., 9 × 10¹² equiv of viral RNA) are synthesized in 1.5 × 10¹¹E. coli in 15 min at 37 °C.