Turnip vein-clearing virus (TVCV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) represent
subgroups of tobamoviruses infecting cruciferous and solanaceous plants, re
spectively. To identify adaptations that may have been necessary in the evo
lution of the TVCV subgroup from a TMV-like ancestor, the infection of turn
ip plants by TMV and by chimeras between TMV and TVCV was explored. TMV acc
umulated at spatially limited sites on inoculated turnip leaves as determin
ed by leaf skeleton hybridization. A plasmid DNA containing a complete TVCV
cDNA, when transcribed in vitro, produced RNA that was infectious to tobac
co and turnip plants. TVCV-TMV chimeric genomes with junctions within codin
g regions were not infectious to tobacco, though the movement protein (MP)
chimera was infectious to tobacco with a TMV MP transgene. Reciprocal chime
ras with junctions between genes were infectious to tobacco. TVCV with a TM
V MP gene infected turnips. The other tested chimeras were not detected in
non-inoculated leaves, but were found in the inoculated leaves. Thus, the T
MV MP is not responsible for the limitation of TMV spread in turnips.