Multiple interspecies recombination events within RNA2 of Grapevine fanleaf virus and Arabis mosaic virus

Sequence alignments and SISCAN analyses inferred multiple interspecies recombination events within RNA2 of strains GHu of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) and Ta of Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), two closely related subgroup A nepoviruses in the family Comoviridae. Interspecies recombination events were identified in the 5' untranslated region, the putative homing protein and movement protein genes but not in the coat protein gene and 3' untranslated region. These findings suggest a dynamic relationship between GFLV and ArMV, and a differential selection pressure on RNA2-encoded proteins with constraints in terms of function and co-adaptation that limit interspecies recombination to certain gene segments.