Replication of double-stranded RNA in particles of Penicillium stoloniferum virus S.

Abstract

RNA polymerase activity was assayed in different particle classes of Penicillium stoloniferum virus S. RNA polymerase activity was found to be associated with H particles, which contain double-stranded RNA and single-stranded RNA, but not with L particles, which contain only double-stranded RNA and not with M particles, which contain only single-stranded RNA. In H particles the reaction occurred with the formation of one new molecule of double-stranded RNA (or two complementary single strands of RNA) per virus particle and the production of product particles (P particles), which contained two molecules of double-stranded RNA (or its equivalent). This RNA polymerase is therefore a replicase, which catalyses the synthesis of the two complementary strands of double-stranded RNA in a single virus particle. This is the first report of this type of RNA polymerase system.