Directed changes in the number of double-stranded RNA genomic segments in bacteriophage phi6.
Bacteriophage Phi6 has a genome of three segments of double-stranded RNA. The segments are designated S, M, and L. Each segment has a unique packaging site, pac, near the 5' end of the plus strand. The plus strands of the segments are normally packaged in the order S, M, L. Chimeras of segment M and S in which segment M is at the 5' end of the plus strand can be stably incorporated into the virion; however, an independent segment S must be included along with normal segment L, even if it contains no active genes. A chimera of segment M and S in which segment S is at the 5' end of the plus strand can be stably incorporated into the virion along with normal segment L to form a two-segment genome. A chimera of segments S, M, and L in which the packaging sequence is that of S can also form a stable nonsegmented genome. These findings are consistent with a model that we have proposed for the packaging of the Phi6 genome.
Onodera
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S
Department of Microbiology, The Public Health Research Institute, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Qiao
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X
Qiao
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J
Mindich
L
L
D017126:Bacteriophage phi 6 / Q000235:genetics*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D010957:Plasmids; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping
D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012367:RNA, Viral