Complete genome sequences of two biologically distinct isolates of Asparagus virus 1

The complete genome sequences of two asparagus virus 1 (AV-1) isolates differing in their ability to cause systemic infection in Nicotiana benthamiana were determined. Their genomes had 9,741 nucleotides excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) tail, encoded a polyprotein of 3,112 amino acids, and shared 99.6 % nucleotide sequence identity. They differed at 37 nucleotide and 15 amino acid sequence positions (99.5 % identity) scattered over the polyprotein. The closest relatives of AV-1 in amino acid sequence identity were plum pox virus (54 %) and turnip mosaic virus (53 %), corroborating the classification of AV-1 as a member of a distinct species in the genus Potyvirus.