Self-ligating RNA sequences on the antigenome of human hepatitis delta virus

Abstract

A 179-base fragment of RNA from the 1,679-base antigenome of hepatitis delta virus can not only self-cleave but, when the ends of the resultant fragments are brought into apposition by base pairing to another RNA, also self-ligate. Thus, processing events needed for genome replication in vivo may be strictly RNA mediated.