FIG 5.

BMV RNA1 has different encapsidation and replication requirements than other RNAs. (A) Mutations in the N-terminal tail of the BMV CP examined for BMV RNA encapsidation and RNA replication. (B) Transmission electron micrographs of the WT and the four mutant BMV virions. The black scale bar denotes 50 nm. (C) RNAs encapsidated by the WT and mutant BMV virions. All virions were prepared in N. benthamiana. The identities of the RNAs are shown to the left of the agarose gels containing glyoxal-treated RNAs. (D) The effects of the N-terminal tail mutations on BMV RNA accumulation in N. benthamiana plants at 2, 4, and 6 days after agroinfiltration. The RNAs were identified in Northern blots treated with a riboprobe that recognizes the conserved 3′ UTR of the BMV RNAs. Bands identified by the asterisks likely correspond to prematurely terminated RNA2 and/or degradation products (37). The relative amounts of the four full-length BMV RNAs within each sample are quantified below the image of the Northern blots. LC, rRNA used as a loading control.