Characterization of the in vitro activity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase associated with the ribonucleoproteins of rice hoja blanca tenuivirus.

An RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity associated with the ribonucleoproteins of rice hoja blanca tenuivirus (RHBV) was detected and analyzed. Conditions for in vitro RNA synthesis and for coupled RNA synthesis-translation of RHBV were established. In both cases, synthesis of the viral and viral complementary genomic and subgenomic RNA3 and RNA4 were observed, demonstrating that both transcription and replication occurred. Though coupling of RNA synthesis to translation allowed efficient translation of the newly synthesized subgenomic RNAs, studies of the effect of various inhibitors of protein synthesis revealed that RNA synthesis was independent of translation. Primer extension experiments demonstrated that in the presence of capped exogenous RNAs, a stretch of 10 to 16 nonviral nucleotides was added to the 5' end of a population of newly synthesized viral complementary RNA4. It appears that in addition to RdRp activity, RHBV-associated protein(s) also possessed cap-snatching capacity.