Molecular characterization and interviral relationships of a flexuous filamentous virus causing mosaic disease of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in India

Summary.  A virus isolate causing mosaic disease of commercial sugarcane was purified to homogeneity. Electron microscopy revealed flexuous filamentous virus particles of ca 890 × 15 nm. The virus isolate reacted positively with heterologous antiserum to narcissus latent virus form UK, but failed to react with potyvirus group specific antiserum. N-terminal sequencing of the intact coat protein (CP) and the tryptic peptides indicated that the virus was probably a potyvirus but distinct from several reported potyviruses. Comparison of the 3′-terminal 1084 nucleotide sequence of the RNA genome of this virus revealed 93.6% sequence identity in the coat protein coding region with the recently described sugarcane streak mosaic virus (Pakistani isolate). The molecular weight of the coat protein (40 kDa) was higher than that deduced from the amino acid sequence (34 kDa). The apparent increase in size was shown to be due to glycosylation of the coat protein which has not been reported thus far in the family, Potyviridae. This is the first report on the molecular characterization of a virus causing mosaic disease of sugarcane in India and the results demonstrate that the virus is a strain of sugarcane streak mosaic virus, a member of the Tritimovirus genus of the Potyviridae. We have named it sugarcane streak mosaic virus – Andhra Pradesh isolate (SCSMV-AP). Received October 14, 1997 Accepted August 7, 1998