NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCES AND EXPRESSION IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI OF THE COAT PROTEIN GENES FROM 2 STRAINS OF MELON NECROTIC SPOT VIRUS

The nucleotide sequences of coat protein (CP) genes of two Japanese st rains of melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV-NH and MNSV-S) were determine d. The size of the CP genes of both strains was 1170 nucleotides. Comp arisons of the deduced amino acid sequences among MNSV strains showed more than 95% homology, and those among other carmoviruses showed 31-3 4% homology. cDNAs of MNSV CP genes were cloned into an Escherichia co li expression fusion vector and MNSV-NH and MNSV-S CPs were successful ly produced. Furthermore, synthetic oligonucleotide primers were used for differentiating MNSV strains by reverse transcription-polymerase c hain reaction method.