Translation of virus mRNA: synthesis of bacteriophage Q beta proteins in a cell-free extract from wheat embryo.

The RNA from bacteriophage Qbeta can be translated by cell-free extracts from wheat embryos. This translation, by 80S ribosomes, occurs at a low magnesium ion concentration. Three products are synthesized which coelectrophorese with Qbeta proteins synthesized in Escherichia coli extracts. The smallest of these has been identified as coat protein. Although the polycistronic bacteriophage message is translated with fidelity, the efficiency is much less than when the monocistronic brome mosaic virus coat protein message is translated.