Complementarity between the 5'- and 3'-terminal sequences of rice stripe virus RNAs.

The 5' and 3' termini of four ssRNA species of rice stripe virus (RSV) isolate T were sequenced. The 3' termini of the three smallest ssRNAs, i.e. RNAs 2, 3 and 4, had the sequence 5' GACUUUGUGU 3'; that of ssRNA 1 had the sequence 5' GACUAUGUGU 3'. The 5'-terminal sequences of all four ssRNAs were 5' ACACAAAGUCC 3'. The 5'- and 3'-terminal sequences of about 20 bases of each ssRNA were almost complementary to each other. It is possible that RSV RNAs form panhandle structures characteristic of the RNA of negative-strand viruses.