Replacement of the coat protein gene of plum pox potyvirus with that of zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus: characterization of the hybrid potyvirus

Infectious hybrid virus was generated by replacing part of the coal protein gene of plum pox potyvirus with that of the zucchini yellow mosaic potyvir us. This viable hybrid contains 84.5% of zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus c oat protein gene while the rest of the sequence was derived from plum pox p otyvirus. Changing the coat protein gene between these two viruses had no e ffect on the experimental host range. Pathogenicity, stability and replicat ion capacity of the hybrid virus were nearly identical to the parent viruse s. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.