Ap. Gultyaev et al., SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE SECONDARY STRUCTURE OF SATELLITE TOBACCO MOSAIC-VIRUS AND TOBAMOVIRUS RNAS, Journal of General Virology, 75, 1994, pp. 2851-2856
The secondary structure of satellite tobacco mosaic virus (STMV) RNA w
as predicted using computer simulations of RNA folding. The analogies
of structural elements in the 3' end untranslated regions (3'-UTR) of
tobamoviral RNAs were analysed. In addition to the tRNA-like structure
and pseudoknot stalk, which are found in all known RNAs of tobamoviru
ses and STMV, another region of stable consecutive pseudoknots was pre
dicted in the 3'-UTR of STMV RNA. A similar pattern of repeated struct
ural units, containing pseudoknot stalks and parts of the tRNA-like st
ructure, was also found in odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV) RNA 3'-
UTR. The predictions on the structure are supported by sequence compar
isons which point to an important functional role of 3' terminal pseud
oknots in STMV RNA as well as in other tobamoviral RNAs. The possible
participation of pseudoknotted structures in the interactions with coa
t protein in STMV is discussed.