Using Interferon-α to Block Expression of Cellular Ribosome Subunit S24 Variant 2 in Human Fibroblasts Inhibits Translation of The Poliovirus Genome

Studies about the proteins induced by interferon (IFN-)-α stimulation have provided some data on their mechanism of antiviral effect. These proteins were confirmed to contribute to antiviral functions. In this study, IFN-α stimulation of human fibroblasts was shown to induce the inhibition of S24 variant 2 (a structural component of the ribosomal small subunit) at the mRNA and protein levels, implying a possible antiviral mechanism for IFN-α in human fibroblasts. The delay of poliovirus replication by IFN-α was partially compensated for by S24 variant 2 expressed in pcDNA vector-transfected cells, and the interference RNA of S24 variant 2 was able to induce mimetically, to some extent, this poliovirus replication delay. These observations revealed that S24 variant 2 could be involved in the antiviral effects of IFN-α in human fibroblasts.