Characterization of virus-specific messenger RNAs from avian fibroblasts infected with fowl plague virus.

In cell-free protein synthesizing systems from wheat embryos, messenger RNAs extracted from chick embryo fibroblasts infected with fowl plague virus direct the synthesis of nine virus-specific polypeptides, two of which may be related to the virus-specific glycopolypeptides. All of the mRNAs are complementary in sequence to virion RNA, and RNAs which do not contain poly A appear to be translated as efficiently as their polyadenylated counterparts. Under certain conditions of incubation, virion RNA also directs the synthesis of discrete polypeptides but these products are not detected in infected cells.