Two different types of satellite RNA associated with chicory yellow mottle virus

Chicory yellow mottle virus (CYMV) is a nepovirus isolated from chicory in southern Italy. The strain CYMV-T, besides the genomic RNAs, contains additional encapsidated RNA components, the most prominent of which have estimated Mr values of 500000 (500K) and 170000 (170K). Northern blot hybridization experiments confirmed that the 170K molecule is a satellite RNA and indicated that the 500K RNA is neither a subgenomic RNA nor a trimeric form of the 170K RNA, but is another satellite RNA. The two satellite RNAs also differ significantly at their termini. The 170K RNA has a free hydroxyl group at the 5? terminus, where the 500K RNA is blocked. At the 3? termini, the 170K RNA has a cyclic 2?,3?-phosphate whereas the 500K RNA has a poly(A) tail. Thus CYMV-T seems capable of supporting two satellites with structural characteristics that resemble two types of satellite previously found in association only with two different nepoviruses.