Brome mosaic virus

Brome mosaic virus (BMV) is a small (28 nm, 86S), positive-stranded, icosahedral RNA plant virus belonging to the genus Bromovirus, family Bromoviridae, in the Alphavirus-like superfamily. Brome mosaic virus was first isolated in 1942 from bromegrass (Bromus inermis). had its genomic organization determined by the 1970s, and was completely sequenced with commercially available clones by the 1980s. The alphavirus-like superfamily includes more than 250 plant and animal viruses including Tobacco mosaic virus, Semliki forest virus, Hepatitis E virus, Sindbis virus, and arboviruses (which cause certain types of encephalitis). Many of the positive-strand RNA viruses that belong to the alphavirus family share a high degree of similarity in proteins involved in genomic replication and synthesis. The sequence similarities of RNA replication genes and strategies for brome mosaic virus have been shown to extend to a wide range of plant and animal viruses beyond the alphaviruses, including many other positive-strand RNA viruses from other families. Understanding how these viruses replicate and targeting key points in their life cycle can help advance antiviral treatments worldwide.

from Wikipedia