A 3RD CRYPTIC VIRUS IN BEET (BETA-VULGARIS)

Japanese leaf beet Beta vulgaris var. cicla cv. Fudanso plants were fo und to contain four double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) components in apparent ly healthy beet plants. Two were identified as from beet cryptic virus 1 (BCV1), but the other two showed different mobilities on gel electr ophoresis and were transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA) and clone d. Hybridization analysis showed no significant sequence homology betw een these two dsRNAs and the dsRNA components of BCV1 or the other kno wn cryptic virus of beet, BCV2. Slot- and dot-blot hybridization were used with cDNA clones as probes to identify plants containing these tw o dsRNA components. Virus particles were purified from these plants an d were shown to contain the two new dsRNA components, thus demonstrati ng the existence of a new beet cryptic virus, which we have called BCV 3.