Molecular and biological characterization of highly infectious transcripts from full-length cDNA clones of broad bean wilt virus 1

Broad bean wilt virus 1 (BBWV-1), genus Fabavirus, has a genome composed of two single-stranded positive-sense RNAs of ∼5.8 (RNA1) and 3.4 kb (RNA2). Full-length cDNA clones of both genomic RNAs (pBenR1 and pBenR2) from BBWV-1 isolate Ben were constructed under the control of the T7 promoter. In vitro derived capped transcripts were infectious in Nicotiana benthamiana, Chenopodium quinoa and Vicia faba plants. The biological activity of viral transcripts was not affected by extra bases at the 5′-terminus introduced during in vitro transcription. Virions derived from the infectious cDNA clones displayed similar viral infectivity and accumulation, as well as symptom induction as the wild-type BBWV-1 isolate.