Role of Bromovirus 3A Protein in Virus Transport and Relation with Host Range Specificity

The two bromoviruses: brome mosaic virus (BMV) and cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) differ in host range specificity although they have strong similarities in their nucleotide coding sequences. BMV is multiplied in barley (Hordeum vulgare) as a systemic host while CCMV is not multiplied within the detection limits. Vice versa CCMV is amplified in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and BMV is not. However, both viruses do multiply in protoplasts of either barley or cowpea. To see whether host specificity can be traced at the protoplast level we analyzed the replication of both BMV and CCMV in both barley and cowpea protoplasts.