First Report of Bacilliform Badnavirus-like Virus Particles in Red Clover

Abstract

A virus detected in symptomatic Trifolium pratense L. plants in the Czech Republic had bacilliform virions which in thin sections occurred solely in phloem tissues and measured 220-500nm by 30-31.5nm. The virus was mechanically transmitted to Nicotiana occidentalis Wheeler, accession 37B. The partial nucleotide sequence (540bp; accession number JX069965) with similarity to open reading frame III of the badnavirus genome was amplified from total genomic DNA, extracted from the plants. The new sequence had 74.4% nucleotide identity to that of Ananas comosus endogenous virus in the polyprotein gene covering reverse transcriptase. The results suggest that the Czech isolate from clover should be regarded as a new member of the genus Badnavirus, for which the name Red clover bacilliform virus is suggested. This is the first report of a tentative member of Badnavirus genus occurring in forage crops. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.