Ten cDNA clones, representing the satellite-like RNA-3 associated with
five different isolates of groundnut rosette virus, were prepared and
sequenced. The sequences are at least 87% identical, but differences
associated both with symptom differences and with geographical origin
were found. The sequences contain up to five potential open reading fr
ames (ORFs), of which three are in the strand that is most abundant in
infected plants and two are in the complementary strand. Only one of
these ORFs is present in all 10 sequences. Neither the sequence of RNA
-3 nor that of its potential translation products had significant simi
larities to sequences in the databases. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.