A Novel Strain of Cucumber mosaic virus Isolated from Lilium longiflorum

A new strain of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) from easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), Ly2-CMV, was identified and compared to the well-characterized Mf-CMV (subgroupⅠ) and LS-CMV (subgroupⅡ) by host reaction in several indicator plants, dsRNA analysis, serological property, RT-PCR analysis, restriction enzyme profile of the PCR products and nucleotide sequence of coat protein (CP) gene. Remarkable differences in symptoms of Ly2-CMV were found between Mf-CMV or LS-CMV in tobacco plants and Datura stramoinium. Ly2-CMV induced small necrotic ringspots on the inoculated leaves of Nicotiana tabacum cvs. Xanthi nc and Burley 21 and D. stramonium, and failed to infect these species systemically. Of the indicator plants tested, N. benthamiana only reacted with systemic infection by inoculation of Lr2-CMV. In experiments of dsRNA analysis, serology and RT-PCR of CP gene, Ly2-CMV was come within subgroupⅠ CMV. However, restriction enzyme analysis of the PCR products using MspⅠ showed that Ly2-CMV was distinct to Mf-CMV. The CP gene of Ly2-CMV contains 657 nucleotides, and the nucleotide sequence is similar to that of Mf-CMV. There is also a high degree of conservation between their putative gene products in Ly2-CMV and Mf-CMV, with five amino acid changes in the 218 amino acids of the CPs.