Two sequences participating in the autolytic processing of satellite tobacco ringspot virus complementary RNA.

Circular and multimeric forms of the satellite RNA of tobacco ringspot virus and their autolytic processing reactions are well known. They suggest replication models in which key elements are rolling circle transcription and the processing of the resulting multimeric RNA to generate the unit, 'monomeric' satellite RNA sequence. We prepared plasmids bearing two distinct sequences of the satellite RNA. Each was arranged to allow transcription of an oligoribonucleotide (r-oligo) of the polarity that is complementary to encapsidated satellite RNA. One sequence has the autolytic processing phosphodiester bond, ApG, and the other is located at a distance of about 150 nucleotide (nt) residues. The second r-oligo accomplished cleavage of the first, in a catalytic fashion. Analysis of truncated forms showed that 10 nt of the ApG junction-containing r-oligo and 46 of the endoribonucleolytic r-oligo were sufficient for recognition in the cleavage reaction. These results map the sequences involved in autolytic processing of the complementary polarity satellite RNA to two regions.