Nucleotide sequence of coat protein gene of kyuri green mottle mosaic virus isolated from zucchini.

The coat protein (CP) gene of kyuri green mottle mosaic virus zucchini strain (KGMMV-Z) isolated from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) in Chonfu, Korea in 1999 was sequenced by the reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction with degenerate and generate primers originated from tobamoviruses. The degenerate primers were very effective in amplification of KGMMV-Z CP region. The KGMMV-Z CP gene consisted of 486 nucleotides and had the same nucleotide length compared with those of cucurbit-infecting tobamoviruses. KGMMV-Z CP gene shared 43.8, 44.2, and 44.4% nucleotide sequence similarity with the CP gene of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus watermelon strain (CGMMZ-W), CGMMV-KW1, and CGMMV-SH, respectively, whereas three CGMMV strains among themselves showed 98.6-99.6% nucleotide similarity. The deduced amino acids of KGMMV-Z CP gene were 161 amino acid residues with the molecular weight of 17,181 daltons. The first 24 codons of KGMMV-Z CP gene corresponded to the sequences of the N-terminal amino acid of the viral capsid protein. The amino acid sequences of KGMMV-Z CP had 45.3% similarity compared with those of three CGMMV strains. However, the amino acid sequences of CGMMV strains were identical. These results showed that two cucurbit-infecting tobamovirus members, KGMMV-Z and CGMMV were genetically distantly related.