Sub-cellular localization of vesicular stomatitis virus messenger RNAs.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) appear to be compartmentalized within the infected HeLa cells. Analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in formamide of the RNA associated with the membrane bound polyribosomes from VSV-infected cytoplasmic extracts shows predominantly one size class of VSV mRNA, which is absent from the remaining cytoplasm. These results are consistent with the mRNA for the viral glycoprotein being exclusively associated with membrane bound polysomes since the latter have been shown to synthesize mainly the virion glycoprotein in an $\text{in vitro}$ translation system.