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Etiology

Confirmation that the Sugarcane Mosaic Virus Subgroup Consists of Four Distinct Potyviruses by Using Peptide Profiles of Coat Proteins. N. M. McKern, Principal research scientist, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Division of Biomolecular Engineering, Parkville Laboratory, 343 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; D. D. Shukla(2), R. W. Toler(3), S. G. Jensen(4), M. Tosic(5), R. E. Ford(6), O. Leon(7), and C. W. Ward(8). (2)(8)Senior principal research scientist, and chief research scientist, respectively, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Division of Biomolecular Engineering, Parkville Laboratory, 343 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; (3)Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Texas A & M University, College Station 77843; (4)Research plant pathologist, USDA, ARS, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583; (5)Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Beograd-Zemnn 11080, Yugoslavia; (6)Professor/head, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801; (7)Head, Department of Phytopathology, National Center for Plant and Animal Health, San Jose de los Lajas, Havana, Cuba. Phytopathology 81:1025-1029. Accepted for publication 29 March 1991. Copyright 1991 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-81-1025.

The taxonomic status of sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) strains reported from various parts of the world has been uncertain. Previous analyses of 17 SCMV strains with virus-specific polyclonal antibodies demonstrated that they represent four distinct potyviruses, namely John-songrass mosaic virus (JGMV), maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV), sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV), and SCMV. To confirm this classification, we have now compared six strains of SCMV, three strains of JGMV, and two strains each of MDMV and SrMV using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) peptide profiling of tryptic digests of their coat proteins. The results showed that peptide profiles could be divided into four distinct groups, which are as different from each other as are peptide profiles of other distinct potyviruses. These findings confirm our previous classification of SCMV strains based on N-terminal serology.