Abstract

The nucleotide sequence of RRV RNA-2 consists of 3928 nucleotides and a poly(A) tract at the 3′ end. RNA-2 contains 1 open reading frame which encodes a polypeptide of M_r 123 508 (123K). Edman degradation located the N terminus of the coat protein 514 residues from the C-terminal end of the 123K protein, which suggests that the coat protein is released from the polyprotein by cleavage of C-A bond. The RRV coat protein has some sequence similarities with the coat proteins of other nepoviruses, but is no more like any one nepovirus than another. In contrast the portion of the 123K protein to the N-terminal side of the coat protein is similar in sequence to the corresponding parts of the polyproteins of tomato black ring and grapevine chrome mosaic nepoviruses, though not to those of other nepoviruses.