Influence of a few coat protein subunits on the base-paired structure of the RNA species of alfalfa mosaic virus.
Differentiated thermal melting profiles were made of all the three RNA species (RNAs 1, 2 and 3), constituting the genome of alfalfa mosaic virus and of the subgenomic coat protein messenger RNA (RNA 4) of this virus. Whereas all profiles showed multiphasicity the profile of RNA 4 was most clearly subdivided showing three clear transitions with tm values of 25.5, 35.5 and 53 degrees C. The first transition disappeared upon addition of 6 coat protein molecules per molecule of RNA 4. The effect of coat protein on the melting profiles of the genome RNAs was much less clear.