Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) DNA-3 to 6 have each previously been shown to contain one large open reading frame in the
virion sense, whereas no large ORF had been identified in BBTV DNA-2. RNAs transcribed from the BBTV genome were mapped using
northern hybridisation and 3′ RACE. One mRNA was transcribed from each of BBTV DNA-2 to 6 and four of these mRNAs mapped to
the ORFs previously identified in BBTV DNA-3 to 6. The mRNA of BBTV DNA-2 was transcribed from a virion sense ORF probably
using a TATA box sequence different to that in BBTV DNA-1, and DNA-3 to 6. This ORF encoded a 10 kDa protein of unknown function.
The 3′ untranslated region of the five mRNAs varied from 25 nucleotides (BBTV DNA-6) to 167 nucleotides (BBTV DNA-4) and each
contained putative polyadenylation signals with associated GT rich sequences together with a possible termination signal (C/T/A)TGTAA
conserved in all five mRNAs.
Received April 19, 1998 Accepted July 29, 1998