The nucleotide sequence of the coat protein genes of satsuma dwarf virus and navel orange infectious mottling virus

The sequence of the 3'-terminal 4320 and 2409 nucleotides were determined for RNA2 of satsuma dwarf virus (SDV) and navel infectious mottling virus (NIMV). Both sequences contained a part of a long open reading frame which encodes larger and smaller coat proteins (CPs) at the 3'-terminus followed by a 3' non-coding region upstream of a poly(A) tail. Amino acid sequence identity for larger and smaller CPs ranged 81-84% and 68-78%, respectively, among SDV, NIMV and the previously sequenced citrus mosaic virus (CiMV). No significant sequence similarity was found between the CPs of SDV or NIMV and those of the como-, nepo- or other viruses. The nucleotide sequence identity of the 3' non-coding region of RNA2 were 68%-78%. among SDV, CiMV and NIMV. These results suggest that SDV, CiMV and NIMV are distinct, though related, viruses. They may be assigned as members of the new genus, which is close to the genera of Comovirus and Nepovirus.