Characterization of the P1 protein and coding region of the zucchini yellow mosaic virus

The nucleotide sequence of the 5'-terminal P1 coding region of an aphid-transmissible isolate of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV; strain FL/AT), a mild isolate (strain MD) and a severe isolate (strain SV), all from Florida, were compared with two other ZYMV isolates. The ZYMV MD and SV isolates and an isolate from California (ZYMV CA) had 95-98% sequence similarities to FL/AT, whereas an isolate from Reunion Island (ZYMV RU) had a 60% sequence similarity to FL/AT. ZYMV MD had an 18 nucleotide insert following the start codon of the P1 coding region. The P1 proteins of all ZYMV isolates shared conserved amino acids in areas of the C terminus similar to those reported for other potyviruses. Polyclonal antisera were prepared to the P1 proteins of ZYMV FL/AT and RU expressed in Escherichia coli. The FL/AT and RU P1 antisera showed varying degrees of reactivity in Western blots with extracts of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) singly infected with a number of distinct ZYMV isolates. The reaction of the FL/AT P1 antiserum with isolate RU-infected tissue extracts was very weak compared to the homologous reaction. Neither antiserum reacted with extracts from plants singly infected with three other potyviruses, a potexvirus, or a cucumovirus. The P1 proteins of ZYMV isolates ranged in molecular mass from 33 kDa to 35 kDa. The P1 protein of strain MD was larger (35 kDa) than that of FL/AT (34 kDa). Indirect immunofluorescence tests with FL/AT P1 antiserum indicated that the P1 protein aggregates in ZYMV-infected tissues. The antisera to the ZYMV P1 proteins have potential as serological probes for identifying ZYMV and for distinguishing ZYMV isolates by immunoblotting.