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Biological and Genetic Diversity of Wheat yellow mosaic virus (Genus Bymovirus)

First and sixth authors: NARO Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center. Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 062-8555, Japan; second author: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657; third author: NARO Institute of Crop Science, Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8666, Japan; fourth, fifth, and eighth authors: NARO Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, Suya, Koshi, Kumamoto 861-1192, Japan; and seventh author: Asian Center for Bioresources and Environmental Sciences (ANESC), University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657.

The biological and genetic diversity of Wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) isolates in Japan was characterized. On the basis of wheat cultivar reactions, 14 WYMV isolates from various places were classified into pathotypes I, II, or III. These were distributed in central, northern, and southern areas of Japan, respectively. WYMV isolates comprised three genotypes (A, A′ and B) based on amino acid differences in RNA1 and two genotypes (a and b) based on amino acid differences in RNA2. A correlation was found between the WYMV RNA1-based genotype and pathotype, suggesting that factors associated with pathogenicity map to RNA1. Genotype Aa and A′a were distributed mainly in the central to southern areas of Japan, and genotype Bb was found in northern areas of Japan, as shown by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Chinese isolates YA and YZ were closely related to genotypes Bb and Aa, respectively. Wheat was introduced from China to Japan in the 4th and 5th centuries, and the two genotypes of WYMV might also have been introduced with the crop from China and later adapted to local wheat cultivars in Japan.