Selective inhibition of cellular protein synthesis by amphotericin B in EMC virus-infected cells

The addition of amphotericin B to EMC-infected cells induces a selective inhibition of cellular as compared to viral protein synthesis. A concentration of 5 μM amphotericin B in the culture medium produced 80% inhibition of actin synthesis, whereas the synthesis of the viral protein γ was inhibited by only 20%. The selective inhibition of cellular mRNA translation induced by this polyene antibiotic depends on the extracellular concentration of NaCl: In the absence of NaCl in the culture medium, the inhibition of actin synthesis was 25% in the presence of 10 μM amphotericin B, whereas, in hypertonic media, the inhibition of cellular protein synthesis was complete. These results indicate that the modification of membrane permeability by amphotericin B has a selective effect on the inhibition of cellular protein synthesis, and that the concentration of NaCl in the culture medium strongly influences the relative synthesis of cellular and viral proteins in EMC-infected cells.