Encapsidation of Viral RNA in Picornavirales : Studies on Cowpea Mosaic Virus Demonstrate Dependence on Viral Replication

The mechanism whereby members of the order Picornavirales specifically package their genomic RNAs is poorly understood. Research with monopartite members of the order, such as poliovirus, indicated that packaging is linked to replication, although the presence of “packaging signals” along the length of the viral RNA has also been suggested. Thanks to the bipartite nature of the CPMV genome, which allows the manipulation of RNA-1 without...