Genomic structure of three phenotypically different isolates of peach latent mosaic viroid: implications of the existence of constraints limiting the heterogeneity of viroid quasispecies.

ABSTRACT: The peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) is used to study the interactions between a viroid containing hammerhead ribozymes and its natural host, peach. To gain insight into the molecular basis of the phenotypic effects observed upon viroid infection, sequence variants from three PLMVd isolates that differ in symptom expression on the peach indicator GF-305 have been characterized. Analysis of the primary structures of a total of 29 different sequence variants derived from a severe and two latent isolates has revealed a large number of polymorphic positions in the viroid molecule. The variability pattern indicates that preservation of the stability of both hammerhead structures and conservation of a branched secondary structure of the viroid molecule may be factors limiting sequence heteroge

SUBMITTER: Ambros S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC109966 | biostudies-literature | 1998 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature