Cowpea mosaic virus RNAs have neither m7GpppN ... nor mono-, di- or triphosphates at their 5' ends.

32P-labeled cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) RNAs were analyzed for their 5' termini by three different fingerprinting standard procedures. These analyses showed unequivocally that CPMV RNAs lack a structure like m7GpppN ... at their 5' termini. In addition, neither mono-, di- or triphosphorylated [(p)(p)pN ....] termini were found in the respective fingerprints. The inability to label the 5' termini treatment with gamma-32P-ATP and polynucleotide kinase, either per se or after pretreatment with alkaline phosphatase, strongly suggests the absence of a free 5'-OH and a free 5'-phosphate at the 5' terminal nucleotide in CPMV RNAs. The various analyses also showed that no 2' -O-methylated nucleotides, N6-methyladenosines or pseudo-uridines are present in CPMV RNAs.