SEQUENCE DIVERSITY IN THE COAT PROTEIN OF SCMV INFECTING MAIZE AND SORGHUM IN BRAZIL

The “maize common mosaic”, caused by potyvirus, is among the major virus diseases of this crop inBrazil. Although there were evidences indicating Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) as the most common potyvirusspecies in maize (Zea mays L.) in Brazil, information about those species that infect sorghum plants [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench] are few. Leaves showing characteristic mosaic symptoms were collected from maize and sorghum andused in serological and sequencing analysis of the coat protein (CP) gene for potyvirus species identification. Amino acid(aa) analysis of the CP N-terminal sequence of our samples showed a different repeated sequence, a higher content of thedipeptide GT, and a 15 aa longer than the majority of the SCMV sequences used for comparisons. The Brazilian maizeand sorghum potyviruses formed a monophyletic group, suggesting that they can be classified within a new SCMV strain.Studies using potyvirus CP gene sequencing from Brazilian sorghum potyvirus have been reported for the first time.