Abstract
The properties of nucleic acids and coat proteins of barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV), wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV), wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV) and oat mosaic virus (OMV) were studied. They have two species of single-stranded RNAs, designated as RNA-1 and RNA-2. The molecular weights (MWs) of RNA-1 and RNA-2 of each virus were: 2.6×106 and 1.5×106 for BaYMV and WYMV, 2.6×106 and 1.4×106 for WSSMV, and 2.8×106 and 1.8×106 for OMV. All the viruses had single coat protein with MWs of 33×103(K) for BaYMV, WYMV and WSSMV, and 30K for OMV. The association of two modal lengths of virus particles and two species of RNAs, and the transmissibility by the fungus Polymyxa graminis demonstrate that these viruses are distinct from potyviruses, and a new virus group should be established for them. We propose that BaYMV is a type member of the new group to be designated as the barley yellow mosaic virus group, bymovirus.
