Genomic masking in mixed infections with brome mosaic and barley stripe mosaic viruses

Abstract

Barley plants infected with both barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) and brome mosaic virus (BMV) had more severe symptoms than plants infected with either virus alone, although the viruses were present in lower concentrations than in singly infected plants. To determine whether BMV protein encapsidated BSMV RNA in vivo, assay plants were inoculated with BMV virions purified from doubly infected plants. These assay plants later contained a small number of BSMV virions in addition to a high concentration of BMV virions. The BSMV virions presumably resulted from infection by BSMV RNA encapsidated by BMV protein.