Phylogenetic analysis of coat protein gene of BYDV-MAV strain from wheat

Abstract

Barley yellow dwarf disease is globally the most important viral disease of wheat. The full-length nucleotide sequence of coat protein (CP) gene of 12 isolates revealed the presence of three distinct clusters. Pakistani isolate of MAV (MAV-PK) has maximum similarity of 99.23% with MAV isolate of Morocco and PAV-Australia following 99.22 and 99.22% with PAV-France. Similar degree of similarity was found in comparison of amino acid sequence. The finding of this study is that MAV-PK has similarity with both MAV-France and PAV-Australia, which is due to the reason that both MAV and PAV belong to the same group and both share maximum nucleotide homology. Low genetic diversity was found not only between MAV isolates but also between MAV and PAV isolates because phylogenetic analysis was done on the CP gene which is highly conserved region in genome of Barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs). Divergence in MAV-PK was due to this recombination which is now most prevalent in Pakistan. MAV-PK has maximum similarity with MAV-Morocco followed by MAV-Sweden and MAV-Cz, which seems to indicate that Pakistani isolate of MAV evolved as the result of recombination between MAV isolates of the USA and PAV isolates of Australia and France. At the same time, recombination of MAV-CZ and MAV-Sweden also occur. This work can be successfully utilised in epidemiological studies of MAV isolate in Pakistan. Further analysis of variation level in these isolates will help scientists to formulate appropriate management strategies like incorporation of BdV 2 gene in wheat against BYDVs.