Lack of specificity of virus-stimulated plant RNA-dependent RNA polymerases.
RNA-Dependent RNA polymerase preparations from tobacco and cowpea plants, either uninfected, or infected with tobacco necrosis or cowpea mosaic virus, were tested for their capability to bind radioactive viral or other RNAs or polynucleotides. The limited binding of up to 30% of all RNAs tested was found to be completely nonspecific in regard to any infecting virus, and it was nonspecifically diminished by excess of other unlabeled RNAs. These data are in line with our previous conclusion that plant viral RNAs are replicated by host enzymes. The data also speak against the hypothesis that these enzymes might be modified as a consequence of viral infection.
Ikegami
M
M
Department of Molecular Biology and Virus Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Fraenkel-Conrat
H
H