Archives of Virology (2003) 148, 937-949

I.C. Yang, G.J. Hafner, J.L. Dale and R.M. Harding (2003)
Genomic characterisation of Taro bacilliform virus
Archives of Virology 148 (5), 937-949
Abstract: Taro bacilliform virus (TaBV) has been classified as a putative badnavirus based on its non-enveloped, bacilliform virion morphology and transmission by mealybugs. The complete nucleotide sequence of a Papua New Guinea isolate of TaBV has now been determined and comprises 7458 bp. The genome contains four open reading frames (ORFs) on the plus-strand that potentially encode proteins of 17, 16, 214 and 13 kDa. The size and organisation of TaBV ORFs 1-3 is similar to that of most other badnaviruses, while the location of ORF 4 is similar to that of ORF 4 and ORF X of the atypical badnaviruses Citrus yellow mosaic virus and Cacao swollen shoot virus, respectively. The putative amino acid sequence of TaBV ORF 3 contained motifs that are conserved amongst badnavirus proteins including aspartic protease, reverse transcriptase (RT) and ribonuclease H (RNase H). The highly conserved putative plant tRNA^met-binding site was also present in the 935 bp intergenic region of TaBV. Phylogenetic analysis using the amino acid sequence of ORF 3 showed that TaBV branched most closely to Dioscorea bacilliform virus. These results confirm that TaBV is a pararetrovirus of the genus Badnavirus, family Caulimoviridae.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Robert M. Harding

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes
identification/taxonomy

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Badnavirus alphacolocalasiae		Papua New Guinea