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Physiology and Biochemistry

Characterization and Translation Studies of Potato Virus S RNA. J. Monis, Graduate student, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison 53706, Present address: Department of Pharmacology, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas 75235; G. A. de Zoeten, professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison 53706, Present address: Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, University of Michigan, East Lansing 48823. Phytopathology 80:441-445. Accepted for publication 13 September 1989. Copyright 1990 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-80-441.

The M_r of the Andean (An) strain of potato virus S (PVS) RNA was determined to be 2.4 ? 10⁶ (7.5 kilobases [kb]) when assayed by electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Oligo d(T) cellulose chromatography and direct RNA sequencing demonstrated that viral RNA is polyadenylated. In vitro translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysates indicates that four major protein products of 140K, 123K, 104K, and 34K are produced by PVS-An RNA. Antisera specific to the Andean and type strains of PVS immunoprecipitated a major protein product of 34K. Infection of potato protoplasts indicated the production of a polypeptide of 34K, which was not detected in mock inoculated protoplasts and reacted specifically with PVS-An antisera in immunoprecipitation experiments.