Location and Encapsidation of the Coat Protein Cistron of Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The coat protein cistron of tobacco mosaic virus was located on the viral RNA starting between 975-1050 nucleotides from the 3''-hydroxyl end. This locates its 5'' end close to the origin for virus assembly, where the 1st protein disk interacts with the RNA. It also means that the coat protein mRNA must have a short 5''-untranslated tail and a long (over 500 nucleotides) 3'' one. The recovery of characteristic oligonucleotides in nuclease-protected rods during the growth from RNA and a protein disk preparation shows that elongation of the nucleated rod proceeds independently in both directions though, on average, much more rapidly along the longer 5'' tail than the shorter 3'' tail. Protected RNA of length equal to that in the complete virion is first seen within 6 min, showing that the most rapidly elongated particles are substantially complete by this time.