Gene from a novel plant virus satellite from grapevine identifies a viral satellite lineage.

We have identified the genome of a novel viral satellite in deep sequence analysis of double-stranded RNA from grapevine. The genome was 1,060 bases in length, and encoded two open reading frames. Neither frame was related to any known plant virus gene. But translation of the longer frame showed a protein sequence similar to those of other plant virus satellites. Other than in commonalities they shared in this gene sequence, members of that group were extensively divergent. The reading frame in this gene from the novel satellite could be translationally coupled to an adjacent reading frame in the -1 register, through overlapping start/stop codons. These overlapping AUGA start/stop codons were adjacent to a sequence that could be folded into a pseudoknot structure. Field surveys with PCR probes specific for the novel satellite revealed its presence in 3% of the grapevines (n = 346) sampled.