Sequence of an oligonucleotide derived from the 3' end of each of the four brome mosaic viral RNAs.

A 3'-terminal oligonucleotide fragment, 161 bases long, can be obtained from each of the four brome mosaic virus RNAs by means of nuclease digestion. Like the four intact brome mosaic virus RNAs, each fragment accepts tyrosine in a reaction catalyzed by wheat germ aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. The complete nucleotide sequence of the RNA 4 fragment has been determined by use of standard radiochemical methods. Comparative data for the fragments from RNAs 1, 2, and 3 show that they have nearly the same sequence as the RNA 4 fragment. The eight bases adjacent to the 3' terminus of the RNA 4 fragment are identical in sequence to the eight terminal bases of tyrosine tRNA from Torula utilis and eleven interior bases are identical in sequence to eleven bases encompassing the anticodon region of tyrosine tRNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, T. utilis, and Escherichia coli. Nevertheless, reasonable base-pairing schemes yield, at best, a distorted cloverleaf secondary structure.