Expression of the 16K cistron of tobacco rattle virus in protoplasts.

An antiserum was raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the 18 C-terminal amino acids of a putative 16K protein encoded by the 3'-terminal open reading frame of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) RNA-1. This antiserum was used to demonstrate expression of the 16K cistron in vivo. TRV-infected tobacco protoplasts accumulated similar amounts of 16K protein and viral coat protein but in tobacco plants only the coat protein was detectable. Time course experiments revealed that in protoplasts the accumulation of 16K protein lagged somewhat behind that of coat protein. The 16K protein was incorporated in a high-molecular-weight cellular component that was resistant to treatment with nonionic detergents.