ABSTRACT
Cytopathogenic viruses induce a decline in the rate of host macromolecular synthesis during infection of tissue culture cells. Cellular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), riboNucleic acid (RNA), and protein synthesis become selectively inhibited. One of the most extensively studied virus-host cell interaction is the control of translation in poliovirus infected cells. The structure of adenoviruses is a nonenveloped icosahedron of 65 to 80 nm in diameter, containing 252 capsomeres arranged as hexons and pentons with fibers that project from the 12 vertices. Most of the work on the mechanism of inhibition of host DNA synthesis is based on the generation of adenovirus mutants. Using temperature-sensitive mutants, it has been established that viral DNA replication is not necessary to the inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the inhibition of cellular RNA synthesis by adenovirus. Adenovirus produces a dramatic shut-off of cellular protein synthesis at late times after infection.
