title: Construction and characterization of an aureusvirus defective RNA.
abstract: Defective RNAs (D RNAs) are small RNA replicons derived from viral RNA genomes. No D RNAs have been found associated with members of the plus-strand RNA virus genus Aureusvirus (family Tombusviridae). Accordingly, we sought to construct a D RNA for the aureusvirus Cucumber leaf spot virus (CLSV) using the known structure of tombusvirus defective interfering RNAs as a guide. An efficiently accumulating CLSV D RNA was generated that contained four non-contiguous regions of the viral genome and this replicon was used as a tool to studying viral cis-acting RNA elements. The results of structural and functional analyses indicated that CLSV contains counterparts for several of the major RNA elements found in tombusviruses. However, although similar, the CLSV D RNA and its components are distinct and provide insights into RNA-based specificity and mechanisms of function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3.
authors.forename: Pui Kei K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3. Electronic address: kawhite@yorku.ca.
authors.forename: K Andrew
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003673:Defective Viruses / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019183:Tombusviridae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D017864:Tombusvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Aureusvirus; Cucumber leaf spot virus; Defective interfering RNA; Plant virus; RNA recombination; RNA replication; RNA structure; RNA virus; Tombusviridae; Tombusvirus