Heterologous encapsidation of recombinant pea early browning virus

The coat protein gene of pea early browning virus (PEBV) was replaced with that of another tobravirus, tobacco rattle virus (TRV strain PPK20). The recombinant virus multiplied efficiently in the systemic host Nicotiana benthamiana and, on the local lesion host Phaseolus vulgaris, produced symptoms typical of PEBV rather than TRV showing that viral coat protein is not a determinant for lesion morphology. Both viral RNAs were encapsidated by TRV coat protein although the shorter particles (encapsidated RNA-2) did not form a discrete population. Evidence is presented to suggest involvement of nucleotide sequences upstream of the coat protein gene in virus particle assembly.