SEQUENCE OF ECHINOCHLOA-HOJA-BLANCA TENUIVIRUS RNA-5

The sequence is presented of RNA-5 of Echinochloa hoja blanca tenuivir us, a second tenuivirus associated with rice cultivation in Latin Amer ica (after rice hoja blanca virus). The RNA is 1334 nucleotides long a nd contains in the complementary sense RNA a single long open reading frame. The deduced amino acid sequence of this open reading frame show s that it encodes a highly basic and hydrophilic 44 kD protein (pc5) w ith about 50% similarity to the pc5 protein of maize stripe virus (MSt V). This and other features of the RNA are discussed.