Regulation of brome mosaic virus gene expression by restriction of initiation of protein synthesis

The translation of total and individual brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNAs was examined in a wheat germ cell-free system in the presence of various inhibitors. Inhibitors of the initiation of polypeptide synthesis, e.g., potassium ions, 7-methylguanosine 5′ -monophosphate, and aurintricarboxylic acid, were shown not only to inhibit overall BMV protein synthesis but also to change the ratio of BMV polypeptides synthesized. Under conditions restrictive for initiation, the translation of nonstructural BMV genes was suppressed, but coat protein synthesis proceeded at a high rate. A similar discrimination among BMV messengers was exerted by a regulatory protein kinase isolated from wheat germ. These results suggest that the regulation of the expression of BMV genes is based on a difference in the mechanism of formation of initiation complexes for individual BMV messages.