Abstract: Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) causes one of the most severe viral diseases in soybean ( Glycine max L. ) and is known to contain many pathogenically and serologically related isolates. In the present study, the authors have obtained cDNAs to all cistrons of a Chinese SMV isolate, SMV-ZK, by RT-PCR. By analyzing the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of the HC-PRO, Nib and CP cistrons, it was found that SMV-ZK was highly homologous to the G2 strain of SMV, thus confirming the existence of G2-1ike isolates in soybean crop in China. The amplified cDNAs were directly cloned into a bacterial expression vector. With the exception of the P3 cistron, expression of the cDNAs of all other cistrons in bacteria gave rise to polypeptides of expected molecular weight. The expressed viral proteins were subsequently purified by gel elution. The preparation of viral-specific cDNAs and gene products will be useful in future functional study of the SMV genome.

Key words: Soybean mosaic virus, Genome, Soybean