THE NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF RNA1 AND RNA2 OF OLIVE LATENT VIRUS-2 AND ITS RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FAMILY BROMOVIRIDAE

The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA1 and RNA2 of olive latent viru s 2 (OLV-2), a virus with quasi-spherical to bacilliform particles and a nonpolyadenylated tripartite ssRNA genome, was determined, RNA1 con sists of 3126 nucleotides and contains a single open reading frame (OR F) coding for a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 102689 Da (pla), RNA2 is also a monocistronic molecule, 2734 nt in length, coding for a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 90631 Da (p2a), The translation products of RNA1 and RNA2 possess the motifs proper to helicase, methy ltransferase (RNA1) and RNA polymerase (RNA2), suggesting that both ar e involved in the replication of the viral RNA, The similarities found between OLV-2 and members of the Bromoviridae in some properties and in the sequences of all genomic products (including pla and p2a) are s trongly indicative that it belongs in this family, OLV-2, however, did not show a direct relationship with any of the current genera in the family, Rather, it revealed homologies in diverging directions with on e or other of the Bromoviridae genus, thus qualifying as the possible representative of a new taxon in this family.