CELL-FREE TRANSLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE REPLICATIVE FORM OF NUDAURELIA BETA VIRUS-RNA

Larvae of the pine emperor moth, Nudaurelia cytherea capensis, infected with Nudaurelia beta virus (N-beta-V) consistently contained one species of dsRNA. This dsRNA was the correct size to be the replicative form of the N-beta-V genome and, in Northern blots, it hybridized with P-32-end-labelled virion RNA. Other smaller dsRNAs were obtained in a non-reproducible manner but these had no sequences in common with the genomic probe; no dsRNAs were observed in extracts from virus-free larvae. Cell-free translation of N-beta-V RNA resulted in the synthesis of only one major polypeptide, of M(r) about 71000, which could not be precipitated by an anti-N-beta-V serum.