Ribonucleic acid synthesis of vesicular stomatitis virus. I. Species of ribonucleic acid found in Chinese hamster ovary cells infected with plaque-forming and defective particles.

Plaque-forming B particles of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) induce the synthesis of virus-specific ribonucleic acid (RNA) in Chinese hamster ovary cells, whereas defective T particles do not. Infection with low input multiplicities of B results in the formation of four species of RNA. During infection with high multiplicities, RNA synthesis begins with mainly these four species of RNA but gradually shifts to a new pattern of RNA synthesis involving five other species of RNA. The change can also be induced by superinfection with T at 2.5 hr after infection with a low multiplicity of B. T added at the same time as B prevents virtually all RNA synthesis. Synthesis of the first group of RNA species correlates with the formation of B particles, whereas synthesis of the second group correlates with the formation of T particles. The various species of RNA formed after infection with VSV particles include single-stranded RNA, a completely double-stranded RNA, and RNA with partially double-stranded regions. These observations begin to establish a molecular basis for understanding the ability of T particles to interfere with the growth of B particles.