INTERFERON ACTION ON MAYARO VIRUS-REPLICATION

Treatment of TC7 cells with interferon (IFN) drastically reduced the y ield of infectious Mayaro virus under experimental conditions that vir us attachment and penetration into the cells were not affected. In IFN -treated cells, synthesis of Mayaro virus proteins was inhibited and c ellular protein synthesis was restored. This phenomenon is dependent o n IFN concentration and multiplicity of infection. Electron microscopy of these cells revealed normal and anomalous viral particles inside c ytoplasmic vacuoles. This suggests that IFN also interferes with Mayar o virus morphogenesis and inhibits the release of virions from cells.