Strains of bean common mosaic virus consist of at least two distinct potyviruses.

Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) consists of a large number of pathotypes and strains which have largely been identified by their characteristic interactions with a selected number of differential bean cultivars. The relationships among these strains and other potyviruses that infect legumes are complex, with indications that BCMV, blackeye cowpea mosaic virus (BlCMV) and azuki bean mosaic virus (AzMV) may be strains of the one virus. Using high performance liquid chromatographic peptide profiles of coat-protein digests, the NL3 and NY15 strains of BCMV were compared with each other, with the Type and W strains of BlCMV and with the mild mottle strain of peanut stripe virus (PStV). The results suggest that BCMV-NL3 and BCMV-NY15 are distinct potyviruses, not strains of the one virus, and that BCMV-NY15 is a strain of the same potyvirus that includes BlCMV, PStV, AzMV and three potyvirus isolates (74, PM, PN) from soybeans.