Design of highly specific cytotoxins by using trans-splicing ribozymes

We have designed ribozymes based on a self-splicing group I intron that can trans-splice exon sequences into a chosen RNA target to create a functional chimeric mRNA and provide a highly specific trigger for gene expression. We have targeted ribozymes against the coat protein mRNA of a widespread plant pathogen, cucumber mosaic virus. The ribozymes were designed to trans-splice the coding sequence of the diphtheria toxin A chain in frame with the viral initiation codon of the target sequence. Diphtheria toxin A chain catalyzes the ADP ribosylation of elongation factor 2 and can cause the cessation of protein translation. In a Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system, ribozyme expression was shown to specifically inhibit the growth of cells expressing the virus mRNA. A point mutation at the target splice site alleviated this ribozyme-mediated toxicity. Increasing the extent of base pairing between the ribozyme and target dramatically increased specific expression of the cytotoxin and reduced illegitimate toxicity in vivo. Trans-splicing ribozymes may provide a new class of agents for engineering virus resistance and therapeutic cytotoxins.

Trans-splicing ribozymes for targeted gene delivery

Ribozymes are potential tools for genetic manipulation, and various naturally occurring catalytic RNAs have been dissected and used as the basis for the design of new endoribonuclease activities. While such cleaving ribozymes may work well in vitro, they have not proved to be routinely effective in depleting living cells of the chosen target RNA. Recently, trans-splicing ribozymes have been employed to repair mutant mRNAs in vivo. We have designed modified trans-splicing ribozymes with improved biological activity. These allow accurate splicing of a new 3' exon sequence into a chosen site within a target RNA, and in frame fusion of the exon can result in expression of a new gene product. These trans-splicing ribozymes contain catalytic sequences derived from a self-splicing group I intron, which have been adapted to a chosen target mRNA by fusion of a region of extended complementarity to the target RNA and precise alteration of the guide sequences required for substrate recognition. Both modifications are required for improved biological activity of the ribozymes. Whereas cleaving ribozymes must efficiently deplete a chosen mRNA species to be effective in vivo, even inefficient trans-splicing can allow the useful expression of a new gene activity, dependent on the presence of a chosen RNA. We have targeted trans-splicing ribozymes against mRNAs of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, human immunodeficiency virus, and cucumber mosaic virus, and demonstrated trans-splicing and delivery of a marker gene in Escherichia coli cells. The improved trans-splicing ribozymes may be tailored for virtually any target RNA, and provide a new tool for triggering gene expression in specific cell types.

Circular dichroism studies of CMV-D and CMV-S: two strains of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus with a different biological behaviour

Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus is a plant virus in which a typical satellite RNA system is present, displaying a dualistic biological behaviour. In fact, it has been shown that satRNA is able either to aggravate or attenuate the viral disease symptomatology with a modulating capability going from death of the host plant to a surprising absence of symptoms. D-satRNA and S-satRNA have been considered the prototype necrogenic and non necrogenic satRNAs respectively. On the basis of circular dichroism spectroscopy, it is suggested that the different biological behaviours can be explained by taking into account the different capabilities exerted by S- and D-satRNAs in inducing structuring effects onto CMV-S and CMV-D genomic RNAs.

[Construction of full-length cDNA clone and complete nucleotide sequence of RNA2 of cucumber mosaic virus SD strain]

The full-length cDNA clone of CMV-SD RNA2 was constructed from two cDNA clones, which were obtained by RT-PCR with primers synthesized based on terminal sequences determined using 5' RACE and 3' RACE, respectively; and the complete sequence was determined. It consists of 3048 nt and there are two partial overlapped ORFs. ORF1, which is located in the 5' portion (79-2652 nt), codes for 2a protein of 858aa, and GDD consensus sequence reported to be "polymerase site" was found in deduced 2a protein sequence. ORF2, which is located in the 3' portion (2414-2746 nt), codes for 2b protein of 111aa. The overall nucleotide sequence homologies with RNA2 of CMV Fny and Q strain, which are representatives of subgroups I and II, respectively, are 91.7% and 75.6%; the amino acid sequence homologies are 93.8% and 67.7% for 2a protein, and 83.0% and 51.3% for 2b protein, respectively. These results demonstrated that CMV-SD belongs to subgroup I.

Molecular studies on bromovirus capsid protein

Brome mosaic bromovirus (BMV) and cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) are structurally and genetically very similar. The specificity of the BMV and CMV coat proteins (CPs) during in vivo encapsidation was studied using two RNA3 chimera in which the respective CP genes were exchanged. The replicative competence of each chimera was analyzed in Nicotiana benthamiana protoplasts, and their ability to cause infections was examined in two common permissive hosts, Chenopodium quinoa and N. benthamiana. Each RNA3 chimera replicated to near wild-type (wt) levels and synthesized CPs of expected parental origin when co-inoculated with their respective genomic wt RNAs 1 and 2. However, inoculum containing each chimera was noninfectious in the common permissive hosts tested. Encapsidation assays in N. benthamiana protoplasts revealed that CMV CP expressed from chimeric BMV RNA3 was capable of packaging heterologous BMV RNA, however, at a lower efficiency than parental BMV CP. By contrast, BMV CP expressed from chimeric CMV RNA3 was unable to package heterologous CMV RNA. These observations demonstrate that BMV CP, but not CMV CP, exhibits a high degree of specificity during in vivo packaging. The reasons for the noninfectious nature of each chimera in the host plants tested and factors likely to affect encapsidation in vivo are discussed.

Characterization of cucumber mosaic virus. VI. Generation of deletions in defective RNA 3s during passage in transgenic tobacco expressing the 3a gene

Defective mutants of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) RNA 3, containing deletions in the 3a gene were passaged in transgenic tobacco plants expressing the CMV 3a gene. After six passages, the various progeny RNA 3 were characterized. In all but one case, the size of the deletion increased. For the NheI-fs RNA 3 mutant of the Fny-strain of CMV (with an 8 nucleotide deletion), the deletion increased in the progeny viral RNA 3 to 570 nucleotides. For a similar frameshift mutant in RNA 3 of the M strain of CMV, either single RNA 3 species (with deletions of 579 or 627 nucleotides) or mixtures of RNA 3 deletion variants were observed in different plants. The DeltaE-H mutant (with a deletion of 202 nucleotides) of Fny-CMV RNA 3 underwent further deletion resulting in the loss of the entire 3a gene and flanking sequences. The DeltaKpnI mutant (deletion of 501 nucleotides) of Fny-CMV RNA 3 underwent a further deletion of 30 nucleotides. Except for the deletion progeny of the DeltaE-H RNA 3 mutant, the other defective RNA 3s all contained inframe deletions. It is proposed that the various deletions were created by different types of recombination and that packaging may be an important factor in the selection of particular defective RNA 3 variants.

Viral pathogenicity determinants are suppressors of transgene silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana

Post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene is suppressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with potato virus Y (PVY) or with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), but not in plants infected with potato virus X (PVX). By expressing PVY and CMV-encoded proteins in a PVX vector we have shown that the viral suppressors of gene silencing are the HCPro of PVY and the 2b protein of CMV. The HCPro acts by blocking the maintenance of PTGS in tissues where silencing had already been set, whereas the 2b protein prevents initiation of gene silencing at the growing points of the plants. Combined with previous findings that viruses are both activators and targets of PTGS, these data provide compelling evidence that PTGS represents a natural mechanism for plant protection against viruses.

Transgenically expressed cucumber mosaic virus RNA 1 simultaneously complements replication of cucumber mosaic virus RNAs 2 and 3 and confers resistance to systemic infection

Tobacco plants transformed with a cDNA copy of RNA 1 of the Fny strain of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) promoted the asymptomatic accumulation of inoculated viral RNAs 2 and 3, which could be detected in noninoculated leaves, suggesting that the transgene also permitted viral long-distance movement. Typical symptoms of infection appeared later and correlated with the appearance of viral RNA 1 regenerated from the transgenic mRNA. Although all R0-generation plants were susceptible to Fny-CMV, one line displaying variable susceptibility to the virus in R1-and R2-generations led to selected R3-generation lines with systemic resistance to Fny-CMV. In the inoculated leaves of resistant plants, a dramatic decrease in the accumulation of viral RNA 1 was observed, relative to susceptible plants. No viral RNAs were detected in noninoculated leaves of the resistant plants, but such leaves were susceptible to infection. Furthermore, these leaves could sustain replication of inoculated CMV RNAs 2 and 3, indicating that a complete transgene-silencing had not been induced. Although a transgene-mediated, CMV RNA 1-suppression occurred in the inoculated leaf of resistant plants, the absence of a complete systemically acquired silencing suggests the existence of additional interferences with viral infection that prevented systemic infection by viral RNAs 2 and 3.

Deletions in the conserved amino-terminal basic arm of cucumber mosaic virus coat protein disrupt virion assembly but do not abolish infectivity and cell-to-cell movement

The N-terminal basic arm of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) coat protein (CP) contains a conserved arginine-rich motif, which is characteristic of RNA binding proteins of several plant and nonplant viruses. To identify regions of the CMV CP N-terminus that are essential for interacting with viral genomic RNA, a comprehensive set of mutations was engineered into biologically active clones of CMV RNA3 and the behavior of each variant with respect to infectivity, packaging and movement was examined. Biological assays conducted in Chenopodium quinoa (local lesion host) and Nicotiana benthamiana (systemic host) revealed that variants lacking either 12 N-proximal amino acids or a region containing four consecutive arginine residues of the CP N-terminus were competent for assembly into virions and remained infectious in plants. Interestingly, two other variants, lacking either 19 N-proximal amino acids or a domain containing a cluster of six arginines in the arginine-rich motif, were incompetent for virion assembly but retained the ability to move cell to cell. Taken together, these results indicate that a major portion of the N-terminal basic arm of CMV CP is dispensable for CP-RNA interactions and also establish that CMV can move cell to cell in a nonvirion form. The distinctive role played by the viral CP in movement and specifically, the extent to which the CP N-terminal basic arm is involved in the infection cycle of CMV are discussed.

Interactions between the structural domains of the RNA replication proteins of plant-infecting RNA viruses

Brome mosaic virus (BMV), a positive-strand RNA virus, encodes two replication proteins: the 2a protein, which contains polymerase-like sequences, and the 1a protein, with N-terminal putative capping and C-terminal helicase-like sequences. These two proteins are part of a multisubunit complex which is necessary for viral RNA replication. We have previously shown that the yeast two-hybrid assay consistently duplicated results obtained from in vivo RNA replication assays and biochemical assays of protein-protein interaction, thus permitting the identification of additional interacting domains. We now map an interaction found to take place between two 1a proteins. Using previously characterized 1a mutants, a perfect correlation was found between the in vivo phenotypes of these mutants and their abilities to interact with wild-type 1a (wt1a) and each other. Western blot analysis revealed that the stabilities of many of the noninteracting mutant proteins were similar to that of wt1a. Deletion analysis of 1a revealed that the N-terminal 515 residues of the 1a protein are required and sufficient for 1a-1a interaction. This intermolecular interaction between the putative capping domain and itself was detected in another tripartite RNA virus, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), suggesting that the 1a-1a interaction is a feature necessary for the replication of tripartite RNA viruses. The boundaries for various activities are placed in the context of the predicted secondary structures of several 1a-like proteins of members of the alphavirus-like superfamily. Additionally, we found a novel interaction between the putative capping and helicase-like portions of the BMV and CMV 1a proteins. Our cumulative data suggest a working model for the assembly of the BMV RNA replicase.

Evolution of a quadripartite hybrid virus by interspecific exchange and recombination between replicase components of two related tripartite RNA viruses

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and tomato aspermy virus (TAV) belong to the Cucumovirus genus. They have a tripartite genome consisting of single-stranded RNAs, designated 1, 2, and 3. Previous studies have shown that viable pseudorecombinants could be created in vitro by reciprocal exchanges between CMV and TAV RNA 3, but exchanges of RNAs 1 and 2 were replication deficient. When we coinoculated CMV RNAs 2 and 3 along with TAV RNAs 1 and 2 onto Nicotiana benthamiana, a hybrid quadripartite virus appeared that consisted of TAV RNA 1, CMV RNAs 2 and 3, and a distinctive chimeric RNA originating from a recombination between CMV RNA 2 and the 3'-terminal 320 nucleotides of TAV RNA 2. This hybrid arose by means of segment reassortment and RNA recombination to produce an interspecific hybrid with the TAV helicase subunit and the CMV polymerase subunit. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the evolution of a new plant or animal virus strain containing an interspecific hybrid replicase complex.

Overexpression and characterization of the cDNA encoding the coat protein of cucumber mosaic virus (Strain ABI) isolated in Korea

We constructed a recombinant CMVCP expression vector termed pMALCMV in which cDNA fragment encoding CMVCP is ligated into pMAL-c2, an E. coli expression vector. Overexpression of pMALCMV containing the entire open reading frame of CMV cDNA sequence and the maltose binding protein (MBP) leader gene was facilitated in E. coli TB1 cells, which resulted in the production of a fusion protein of MBP-CMVCP (Mr 67.7 kDa) that was immunoprecipitable with rabbit polyclonal antiserum specific for MBP. The CMVCP (Mr 24.5 kDa) was isolated through a preparative SDS polyacrylamide gel following digestion of the affinity ligand purified fusion protein with Factor Xa. The partial amino acid sequences of the cleaved proteins were confirmed at the amino terminus by peptide sequencing. The CMVCP antiserum was also prepared by intraperitoneal injection of this purified CP into a BALB/c mouse. Immunoblot analysis showed that the purified CMVCP from the Factor Xa cleavage reaction was an authentic overexpression product of the cloned CMVCP. Using an RNA mobility shift assay, it was demonstrated that CMVCP can bind to its own RNA transcript in a concentration dependent manner. However, the complex formed between CMVCP and its RNA was abolished by the addition of a polyclonal antibody that had been raised against CMVCP, confirming that the overexpressed CMVCP specifically interacts with its own RNA. Thus, our results can provide a basis for the development of a hybridoma cell line expressing the monoclonal antibody for CMVCP and molecular cloning of their genes, which may lead to the creation of CMV-resistant transgenic plants.

Involvement of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus RNA2 and RNA3 in viral systemic spread in radish plant

The genetics of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) and the pathogenicity of the virus for Raphanus sativus were analyzed using pseudorecombinants constructed from the infectious transcripts of two naturally occurring strains of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV-D8 and CMV-Y). CMV-D8, but not CMV-Y, could cause systemic infection of the plant. Viral accumulation and systemic movement in the plants was examined using immuno-tissue blot analysis, dot blot and Northern blot hybridization. Virus was equally distributed and CMV RNAs accumulated to similar levels in the inoculated cotyledons of radish irrespective of the pseudorecombinant, suggesting that there are no apparent differences in the ability of infection and viral accumulation between CMV-D8 and CMV-Y. We found, however, that both RNAs 2 and 3 of CMV-D8 are involved in determining the efficiency for the systemic infection of R. sativus. Co-operated interactions between genetic information of RNAs 2 and 3 would control the efficient translocation of virus from the inoculated leaves to the uninoculated upper leaves of radish plant.

Ilarviruses encode a Cucumovirus-like 2b gene that is absent in other genera within the Bromoviridae

We found that RNA 2 of the four ilarviruses sequenced to date encodes an additional conserved open reading frame (ORF), 2b, that overlaps the 3' end of the previously known ORF, 2a. A novel RNA species of 851 nucleotides was found to accumulate to high levels in plants infected with spinach latent virus (SpLV). Further analysis showed that RNA 4A is a subgenomic RNA of RNA 2 and encodes all of ORF 2b. Moreover, a protein species of the size expected for SpLV ORF 2b was translated in vitro from the RNA 4A-containing virion RNAs. The data support the suggestion that the SpLV 2b protein is translated in vivo. The 2b gene of ilarviruses, which is not encoded by alfamoviruses and bromoviruses, shares several features with the previously reported cucumovirus 2b gene; however, their encoded proteins share no detectable sequence similarities. The evolutionary origin of the 2b gene is discussed.

Production of infectious RNA transcripts from full-length cDNA clones representing two subgroups of peanut stunt virus strains: mapping satellite RNA support to RNA1

Full-length cDNA clones from which infectious transcripts could be generated were constructed from the genomic RNAs of two distinct strains of peanut stunt cucumovirus (PSV), PSV-ER and PSV-W. PSV-ER, a subgroup I strain, is known to support efficient replication of satellite RNA (satRNA) in infected plants, whereas PSV-W, a subgroup II strain, does not support satRNA replication. Although artificial reassortants (pseudorecombinants) of all possible combinations of infectious transcripts representing RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3 were infectious, only those having RNA1 from PSV-ER supported the replication of satRNA. These results demonstrate conclusively that support of PSV satRNA replication maps to RNA1. Comparisons of secondary structure predictions of the C-terminal helicase-like domain of the 1a proteins of four PSV strains belonging to two subgroups did not reveal any obvious differences between strains that differ in satRNA support. The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA1 from strains PSV-ER and PSV-W were determined and found to be 79% identical. Sequence comparison analysis of RNA1 sequences of cucumoviruses confirmed the placement of the PSV strains into two distinct subgroups.

Characterization of cucumber mosaic virus. V. Cell-to-cell movement requires capsid protein but not virions

To ascertain the importance of amino-terminal proximal capsid protein (CP) sequences in cel-to-cell movement, virion formation, and stabilization, two CP mutants of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were generated by deletion of sequences encoding CP amino acids 15-40 (delta Sal-Nru) or 26-40 (delta Sac-Nru). Wildtype CMV and CMV containing delta Sac-Nru could infect systemically four host species, although symptoms induced by the two viruses usually were different CMV containing delta Sal-Nru could only infect Nicotiana benthamiana and N. clevelandii systemically, but only slowly, suggesting phloem-independent long-distance movement. A variant mutant designated delta Sal-Nru* could systemically infect N. tabacum as well as the above two Nicotiana species, rapidly, but could not systemically infect Cucurbita pepo. Virus particles could not be detected in plants infected by delta Sal-Nru, while delta Sal-Nru* and delta Sac-Nru formed particles of lower stabilities than for wildtype virus. The CPs of delta Sal-Nru and delta Sal-Nru* could bind RNA in vitro, although less strongly than delta Sac-Nru or wildtype CMV. These data indicate that amino-terminal proximal sequences of the CMV CP interact with viral RNA and are required for the formation of stable virions. Moreover, while the CP is necessary for cell-to-cell movement, the ability to form virions is not a prerequisite for cell-to-cell movement.

The 5' untranslated region of cucumber mosaic virus RNA4 confers highly competitive activity on heterologous luciferase mRNA in cell-free translation

The cell-free translation of virion RNAs of several tripartite RNA viruses has shown that RNA4, a subgenomic RNA, is more competitive than other virion RNAs. Recently, the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) RNA4 was identified to be a competitive determinant. In this study, we observed that the RNA4 of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), another tripartite RNA virus, was also found to be a strong competitor in translational competition among CMV virion RNAs. To identify the competitive determinant of CMV RNA4, we constructed various chimeric luciferase mRNAs containing RNA4 and/or vector-derived UTRs. The relative translations of luciferase-containing mRNA in the presence of a competitor mRNA showed that the 5' UTR, not the 3' UTR, substantially contributed to the highly competitive activity of CMV RNA4.

Isolation of an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant in which accumulation of cucumber mosaic virus coat protein is delayed

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is known to systemically infect Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia plants. In order to identify the host factors involved in the multiplication of CMV, we isolated an A. thaliana mutant in which the accumulation of the coat protein (CP) of CMV in upper uninoculated leaves was delayed. Genetic analyses suggested that the phenotype of delayed accumulation of CMV CP in the mutant plants was caused by a single, nuclear and recessive mutation designated cum1-1, which was located on chromosome IV. The cum1-1 mutation did not affect the multiplication of tobacco mosaic virus, turnip crinkle virus or turnip yellow mosaic virus, which belong to different taxonomic groups from CMV. Accumulation of CMV CP in the inoculated leaves of cum1-1 plants was also delayed either when CMV virion or CMV virion RNA was inoculated. On the other hand, when cum1-1 and the wild-type Col-0 protoplasts were inoculated with CMV virion RNA by electroporation, the accumulations of CMV-related RNAs and the coat protein were similar. These results suggest that the cum1-1 mutation did not affect the uncoating of CMV virion and subsequent replication in an initially infected cell but affected the spreading of CMV within an infected leaf, possibly the cell-to-cell movement of CMV in a virus-specific manner.

Differential interactions among isolates of peanut stunt cucumovirus and its satellite RNA

The interactions of seven isolates of peanut stunt cucumovirus (PSV) originating from North America, Europe and Africa, and two variants of PSV satellite RNA (sat RNA) were analysed. Electrophoretic and immunoblot analyses of the coat protein (CP) and Northern blot hybridization analyses of the viral RNAs showed that isolates PSV F352, 1339 and 1507 belonged to subgroup I, and isolates PSV W, Su and B to subgroup II. The seventh isolate, robinia mosaic virus (RoMV) clustered with subgroup I isolates by CP analysis, but was related to both subgroups by RNA hybridization analysis. The ability to support the accumulation of two newly described sat RNA variants, P4 and P6 sat RNAs, was not related to PSV isolate classification: neither PSV W nor RoMV were helper viruses for these PSV sat RNAs. Symptom modulation by both sat RNAs was the same: the presence of sat RNA did not modify the symptoms induced by subgroup I isolates but exacerbated the symptoms induced by subgroup II isolates in both tobacco and cowpea. Sat RNAs P4 and P6 contained 393 nucleotides, and differed only in three nucleotide substitutions. This resulted in marked differences in infectivity, level of accumulation and relative encapsidation between both the sat RNAs. Accumulation levels and relative encapsidation of sat RNAs was also affected by the isolate of helper virus.

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for direct detection of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in gladiolus

A diagnostic method based on Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed for detection of CMV genome directly in crude extracts of both healthy and infected gladiolus tissue using primers from the conserved sequences of CMV RNA-3. RT-PCR resulted in the amplification of 540 bp long fragment of CMV coat protein gene (CMV-CP), as expected in most of the plant parts of infected gladiolus samples. Positive signals in Southern hybridization of amplified fragments with cloned CMV-CP cDNA probe also confirmed the presence of CMV genome in gladiolus.

A mutation in tomato aspermy cucumovirus that abolishes cell-to-cell movement is maintained to high levels in the viral RNA population by complementation

The nucleotide substitution C-->A at nucleotide 100 of tomato aspermy cucumovirus (TAV) strain V (V-TAV) RNA segment 3 (RNA3) introduces an ocher stop at the fourth codon of the movement protein open reading frame. Experiments with RNA transcripts from full-length clones showed that this mutation abolished cell-to-cell movement and, thus, infectivity in planta. Heterogeneity analyses on stock V-TAV virion RNA showed that an A at position 100 was present in the molecular population of RNA3 at a frequency of 0.76 and that a C at this position was present at a frequency of 0.24. This result indicates that a fraction of RNA3 molecules complements cell-to-cell movement of movement-defective molecules. It was shown that the mutation C-->A conferred enhanced RNA replication of the defective mutant in tobacco protoplasts. The effect of the mutation on replication was dependent on sequence context, since the same mutation did not affect the replication efficiency in the related TAV strain 1 RNA3. Competition experiments in tobacco protoplasts were done to estimate the fitness during a cell invasion cycle of the movement-defective mutant relative to the wild type (wt). From these data, a lower limit to the degree of complementation of movement-defective molecules by movement-competent ones could be estimated as 0.13. This estimate shows that complementation may play an important role in the determination of genetic structure in RNA genome populations. A further effect of the enhanced replication of the movement-defective mutant was the efficient competition with the wt for the initiation of infection foci in planta.

Some Indian strains of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) lacking satellite RNA

Virus strains isolated from Ocimum sanctum and Zinnia elegans were identified as cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) strains on the basis of non-persistant aphid transmission, 28 nm particles, 26 kDa coat protein subunits and serological relationships with CMV and chrysanthemum aspermy virus. The strains showed some biological, serological and satellite RNA based differentiation with other CMV strains isolated earlier from chrysanthemum, petunia and tobacco.