CONSERVATION OF A VIRAL RNA GENOME DURING REPLICATION AND TRANSLATION

Abstract

The RNA of mature virus particles was doubly labeled by growth in the presence of N15 and P32. The RNA recovered after completion of lysis was banded in gradients of CS2SO4. The two isotopes were recovered in the same RNA strands, corresponding in density to the N15-RNA originally injected. The experiments were carried out under conditions which avoided nonparticipating strands or inactive virus particles. The data are consistent with the conclusion that the parental strands of an RNA virus are completely conserved during all the replications and translations required to produce a full yield of mature virus particles. Since it is very likely that the incoming viral RNA must serve as a genetic message, the results indicate that instability is not a mandatory attribute of RNA molecules which serve as programs for protein synthesis.