title: Viroids and viroid-like satellite RNAs: a phylogenetic analysis.
abstract: With the discovery that certain RNAs possess catalytic properties (Kruger et al., 1982; Guerrier-Takada et al., 1983), the possible significance of certain small plant pathogenic RNAs, namely viroids and viroid-like satellite RNAs, as relics of precellular evolution deserves consideration. As a first step in this endeavor, I report here the results of a phylogenetic study of the computer-aligned nucleotide sequences of these RNAs that is based on the parsimony principle (Felsenstein and Sober, 1986).
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Maryland, College Park.
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Diener
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D010802:Phylogeny; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D019244:RNA, Satellite; D012984:Software; D014772:Viroids / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019244:RNA, Satellite; D012313:RNA