Characterisation of potyviruses from sugarcane and maize in China

Sugarcane or maize leaves with mosaic virus symptoms were collected from 13 sites in China. Sequence data showed that all 8 samples from maize contained Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV); complete sequences were determined from 2 samples and partial sequences (the CI coding region and the 3'-part of the genome) from the others. The 5 sugarcane samples all contained a virus tentatively described as Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) and in three of them SCMV was also detected; 2 SrMV sequences and the 3 SCMV ones were completely determined and partial SrMV sequences were obtained from the remaining 3 samples. The features of the complete sequences of SCMV and SrMV are described for the first time. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis showed three distinct groups of Chinese SCMV sequences (sugarcane isolates from Zhejiang province, a maize isolate from Guangdong and maize isolates from other provinces). The SrMV sequences were similar to one another (> 93% identical nucleotides); they resembled published sequences in the coat protein but were less similar in the 3'-UTR. The complete sequences of SCMV and SrMV had about 70% nucleotides identical to one another and to Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV). MDMV was not detected in any of the samples.