Properties of the Iranian isolate of bermudagrass etched-line virus

The Iranian isolate of bermudagrass etched-line virus (BELV-I), purified by low-pH treatment of infected bermudagrass sap followed by several cycles of differential centrifugation and sucrose density-gradient centrifugation, formed two components in density-gradient columns. The top component consisted of empty protein shells. It had a major structural protein of c. 22 kDa and a minor of c. 25 kDa. The weight of the nucleic acid present only in bottom component particles, was calculated to be 1.82 x 10(6) Da. Only Aconurella prolixa (Leth.) was able to transmit the virus under experimental conditions or contained the virus in natural populations. In ELISA tests the virus titer in the vector increased rapidly between days 14 and 29 after acquisition: results indicating a propagative relationship. BELV-I was serologically closely related to the Moroccan isolate of BELV, and related to the American but not to the Costa Rican isolate of maize rayado fine virus (MRFV). Several graminaceous species were found to be experimental or natural hosts of the virus.