RECOMBINATION BETWEEN PLUS AND MINUS STRANDS OF TURNIP CRINKLE VIRUS

Turnip crinkle virus (TCV), a small monopartite RNA virus, is associat ed with several subviral RNAs, some of which are the products of recom bination between the genomic RNA and an unrelated satellite RNA (sat-R NA D). As part of a study on the nonrandom sequences found at the junc tions of nearly all TCV recombinant molecules, we have characterized a novel recombinant (D/TCV950) that was formed from sat-RNA D and both the plus and minus strands of the genomic RNA. D/TCV950 (517 nt) is co mposed of sat-RNA D at the 5'-end, joined to four nontemplate derived uracil residues, and then three segments of TCV genomic RNA, one of wh ich is from the complementary strand. Sequences at the right sides of the junctions were similar to sequences previously found at the right sides of junctions in other TCV-associated recombinant molecules. To o ur knowledge, this is the first report of a recombinant molecule forme d from both coding and complementary strands of a single-stranded, pos itive-sense RNA virus. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.