Circular satellite-RNA molecules in satellite of tobacco ringspot virus-infected tissue.
Total nucleic acid extracts from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) infected with the satellite of tobacco ringspot virus (STobRV), upon two-dimensional electrophoresis under conditions which separate linear from circular RNA molecules, showed the presence of relatively large amounts of a circular molecule with the size of the satellite RNA. Hybridization to a specific STobRV-cDNA probe confirmed its homology with STobRV-RNA. Apart from this circular satellite RNA monomer large amounts of circular dimeric STobRV-RNA were also seen. In purified virus preparations only linear STobRV-RNA monomers and dimers were found. These results support the notion that STobRV-RNA is replicated via a rolling circle mechanism and indicate similarities between STobRV and other small circular RNAs (virusoids) found in different plant virus infections.
Linthorst
H J
HJ
Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
Kaper
J M
JM