The 52 kD Protein Gene of Odontoglossum Ringspot Virus Containing RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Motifs and Comparisons with Other Tobamoviruses

Complementary DNA of the genomic RNA of odontoglossum ringspot virus Cymbidium strain (ORSV-Cy) was synthesized from polyadenylated viral RNA and cloned. Selected clones containing the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene of the virus has been sequenced by automated sequencing system. The complete nucleotide sequence of an open reading frame is 1377 base pairs in length, and encodes a protein of 458 amino acids about 52, 334 D. The 52 kD protein of ORSV shares four sequence motifs characteristic of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Comparison of the ORSV 52 kD protein sequence with that of other five viruses in tobamovirus group showed 76.0 to 60.7% homologies at the amino acid level and the conservation of the four motifs betwen the viruses.