The Nucleotide Sequence of Satellite St. Augustine Decline Virus. Philip H. Berger. Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow 83843 U.S.A. Patrick J. Shiel, and Ukkubandage Gunasinghe. Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow 83843 U.S.A. MPMI 7:313-316. Accepted 1 November 1993. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1994.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the satellite virus of St. Augustine decline virus (sSADV) has been determined. It comprises 824 nucleotides and contains a single, large open reading frame that corresponds to the coat protein of the satellite virus, as confirmed by direct amino acid sequencing. The genome contains two other potential open reading frames, similar to the organization of satellite Panicum mosaic virus (sPMV). These two satellite viruses share significant sequence homology at both the nucleotide and the amino acid levels; there are 36 nucleotide differences, resulting in five amino acid changes. Other than the close homology with sPMV, there is no homology with the known satellite viruses at the nucleotide or amino acid level, while there is some similarity in the hydropathy profiles of Ihe coat proteins of these viruses.