Soil-borne rye mosaic and European wheat mosaic virus: two names for a furovirus with variable genome properties which is widely distributed in several cereal crops in Europe

PCR and nucelotide sequence analyses have revealed that Soil-borne rye mosa ic furovirus (SBRMV) which we have recently described is widely distributed in Europe. In Northern Germany, Poland and Denmark the virus affects mainl y rye and triticale, but in France and Italy it is wheat which becomes infe cted. The partial RNA 1 and RNA 2 sequences which were determined for the v arious SBRMV sources form several clusters, but so far no correlation betwe en molecular differences and the type of host which becomes infected under natural conditions was detected. European wheat mosaic furovirus which was recently described by Diao et al. (1999) [Virology 261: 331-339] is closely related to a French source of SBRMV.