The cowpea strain of Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV-C), a T = 3 icos
ahedral RNA virus, was dissociated to yield a ribonucleoprotein comple
x (RNPC) composed of the viral RNA and coat protein subunits. To deter
mine if the coat protein subunits were bound to a specific site on the
viral RNA, the RNPC was treated with ribonuclease, and the remaining
coat protein-RNA complexes were recovered by filter binding, A single
species of RNA was isolated by this procedure and further characterize
d by sequencing. The RNA was mapped to nucleotides 1410-1436 of the SB
MV-C genome. This region of the viral RNA was predicted to fold into a
hairpin with a 4-base loop and a duplex stem of 24 nucleotides. The s
tability and specificity of the coat protein-RNA complex isolated from
dissociated virus suggest a possible role for this interaction in the
selective encapsidation of the viral RNA. (C) 1995 Academic Press, In
c.