Evidence that the low molecular weight RNA associated with chicory yellow mottle virus is a satellite

Chicory yellow mottle virus, ringspot strain (CYMV-RS), supports the replication of a low molecular weight RNA (0.17 × 106 daltons) associated with CYMV-T (type stain). Competition hybridization experiments revealed lack or nucleotide sequence homology between 0.17 × 106 mol. wt. RNA (Sat RNA) and CYMV-RS genomic RNAs, and partial homology (33 %) with CYMV-T genomic RNAs. However, such apparent partial homology can be due to contamination of CYMV-T genomic RNAs with a multimeric form of Sat RNA having a similar molecular weight. On this account the hypothesis that CYMV-T Sat RNA is a true satellite RNA becomes tenable.