ABSTRACT
The regulation of translation in eukaryotic cells plays an important part in gene expression. Two types of regulation of translation occur: the unspecific regulation that occurs when translation of all cellular mRNAs increases or decreases after a given stimulus, and the specific regulation when protein synthesis directed by some messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNAs) declines. Therefore, in picornavirus-infected cells two inhibitory effects on translation can be clearly distinguished: the first one on cellular mRNAs and the second on viral protein synthesis. However, in order to understand the different aspects that regulate translation of host and viral mRNAs in virus-infected cells, both events should be considered. The blockade of host translation by picornaviruses is only one of several cellular functions that is altered after infection. Cellular DNA synthesis, transcription, and energy production are also depressed, whereas the synthesis of lipids increases very much and the permeability barrier of the cell membrane are destroyed during infection.
