The S RNA segment determines symptom differences on Tetragonia expansa between two Watermelon silver mottle virus isolates

The WS-Y isolate of Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) causes severe necrosis in Tetragonia expansa. To determine the RNA segment that induces symptoms, genome reassorants between WS-Y and an isolate causing mild mottle, WS-O, were generated. The origin of each segment in the reassortants was identified by RT-PCR and subsequent restriction enzyme analysis of the amplified fragments. Thirty genome reassortants were isolated from co-infected T. expansa plants. The reassortants with the S RNA segment of WS-Y caused severe necrosis, while those with the S RNA segment of WS-O caused a mild mottle; hence, the S RNA determined symptom expression. The incidence of reassortants was disproportional among genotypes. The most frequent genome reassortant possesses the L RNA of WS-Y, the M RNA of WS-O and the S RNA of WS-Y. A similar ratio of genotypes was found in isolates of local lesions on Chenopodium quinoa. These results strongly suggested that competition occurred independently between the individual RNA segments in a co-infected T. expansa plant, not between isolates.     

水蜡A病毒在呼和浩特市和哈尔滨市紫丁香上的发生及其基因组分子特征分析

为明确侵染紫丁香Syringa oblata并引起褪绿花叶症状的病毒种类及其基因组分子特征,利用透射电子显微镜对分离自呼和浩特市和哈尔滨市的紫丁香病样中的病毒粒子进行观察,并通过小RNA高通量测序和RT-PCR技术对其进行检测分析。结果表明,在紫丁香显症叶片的病毒粗提液中观察到长约600 nm、宽约13 nm的线状病毒粒子。利用小RNA高通量测序和RT-PCR技术从病样中检测到水蜡A病毒（Ligustrum virus A,LVA）,发病率为3.7%。呼和浩特市紫丁香分离物LVA-Sob的基因组序列全长8 525 nt,包含6个开放阅读框,分别编码Rep（1 968 aa）、TGB1（229 aa）、TGB2（107 aa）、TGB3（60 aa）、CP（294 aa）和NABP（119 aa）共6个蛋白。序列一致性分析表明,分离物LVA-Sob与韩国水蜡树分离物LVA-SK的基因组序列一致率高达97.9%,而与我国辽宁省暴马丁香分离物LVA-DX的基因组序列一致率仅为73.6%。在这3个LVA分离物基因组中没有检测到重组事件;基于基因组和cp基因序列的系统发育树显示这3个LVA分离物形成一个分支,并与瑞香S病毒（daphne virus S,DVS）有较近的亲缘关系。     

番茄黄化曲叶病毒北京分离物侵染性克隆的构建与其致病性

为明确番茄黄化曲叶病毒北京分离物（Beijing isolate of tomato yellow leaf curl virus,TYLCV-BJ）致病性的强弱,以感染TYLCV-BJ的番茄叶片DNA为模板PCR扩增获得该分离物基因组全长序列,并构建该分离物的侵染性克隆,将其分别接种到番茄、烟草和拟南芥植株上,比较该分离物和TYLCV上海分离物2(TYLCV-Shanghai 2,TYLCV-SH2)致病性的差异。结果显示,该分离物基因组全长序列同TYLCV-SH2的相似度为99.03%,在番茄和烟草植株上TYLCV-BJ比TYLCV-SH2发病更早,症状更重,TYLCV DNA和外壳蛋白积累量更高。TYLCV-BJ可以通过农杆菌Agrobacterium tumefaciens注射法在拟南芥中复制和系统侵染,而TYLCV-SH2不能有效侵染拟南芥。表明TYLCV-BJ的致病性强于TYLCV-SH2,所建立的侵染性克隆有广泛的研究和应用价值。     

Characterization of Citrus tristeza virus isolates in northern Iran

The biological and molecular properties of four Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates isolated from infected Satsuma trees imported from Japan, and growing in citrus groves in northern Iran (Mahdasht orchards, Mazandaran Province), were investigated. CTV-infected samples were collected from sweet orange trees and grafted onto Alemow (Citrus macrophylla Wester) seedlings. On indicator plants, these isolates produced various symptoms including vein clearing and stem pitting on Mexican lime, Alemow, and Citrus hystrix, and yellowing and stunting on sour orange and grapefruit seedlings. Citrus samples were also surveyed for CTV using serological tests. The coat protein (CP) gene of these isolates was amplified using specific primers, yielding an amplicon of 672 bp for all isolates. Sequence analysis showed 98%–99% sequence homology of Iranian isolates with the Californian CTV severe stem-pitting isolate SY568 and 97%–98% homology with the Japanese seedling yellows isolate NUagA. The Iranian isolates were compared by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the CP amplicon for further classification.     

A Cucumber mosaic virus isolated from Momordica charantia L.

Momordica charantia L. plants systemically infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were found in Oita Prefecture. The virus isolated from the host plant was characterized by biological, serological, and molecular biological methods. The purified virus was used to mechanically inoculate the host and produced green mottle, green mosaic, and/or chlorotic spots in the noninoculated upper leaves of the host. The virus was identified as an isolate of CMV containing genomic RNA3 derived from subgroup IA by several lines of evidence based on electron microscopy, serological detection, host range, symptoms, and the entire nucleotide sequence of RNA3.     

Induction of a defense response in strawberry mediated by an avirulent strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum</Emphasis>

In the strawberry crop area of Tucumán (north-west Argentina) the three species of Colletotrichum causing anthracnose disease (C. acutatum, C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides) were detected. Among all isolates characterized, one of them identified as C. acutatum (M11) and another as C. fragariae (F7) were selected due to their conspicuous interaction with the strawberry cultivar Pájaro. Whereas isolate M11 produced a strong compatible interaction in cv. Pájaro with clear disease symptoms (DSR = 5.0), the isolate F7 brought about a typical incompatible interaction (DSR = 1.0). When plants of cv. Pájaro were inoculated with F7 prior to the inoculation with M11, the former avirulent strain prevented the growth of the latter virulent pathogen. Experimental evidence indicated that the time elapsed between the first inoculation with the avirulent pathogen and the second inoculation with the virulent one was crucial to inhibit the growth of the latter. The growth of F7 on the plant without provoking damage and the fact that there was no in vitro antagonistic effect between the pathogens, suggests that the avirulent strain triggers a plant defensive response against M11. The defense response was further confirmed by the detection of an early oxidative burst occurring within 4 h after the first inoculation and by the observation of anatomical changes associated with defense mechanisms that lasted 50 days after the inoculation with F7. Results obtained support the hypothesis that the plant resistance against the virulent strain M11 is elicited by one or more diffusible(s) compound(s) produced by the avirulent strain F7.     

黄瓜花叶病毒和马铃薯Y病毒混合侵染烟株对烟蚜取食行为的影响

为探究黄瓜花叶病毒(Cucumber mosaic virus,CMV)、马铃薯Y病毒(Potato virus Y,PVY)混合侵染烟株对烟蚜取食行为的影响,利用刺探电位图谱(electrical penetration graph,EPG)技术记录了烟蚜在健康烟株与CMV、PVY混合侵染后不同发病级别烟株上的取食波形。结果显示:烟蚜在健康烟株上的刺探次数最少,在感病烟株上的C波总持续时间均显著长于健康烟株;第1次到达韧皮部前的刺探次数,健康植株上仅为4.00次,3级感病烟株上的为健康烟株上的2倍;在健康烟株上E2波总持续时间为120.65 min,极显著大于2级和3级感病烟株;刺探过程中,感病烟株上的pd波出现次数均高于健康烟株,且pd波II-1和II-3亚波的持续时间也显著高于健康烟株。研究表明,CMV、PVY混合侵染烟株可降低寄主对烟蚜的适合度,且能促进烟蚜对病毒的传播。     

侵染扶桑的烟草花叶病毒分离物鉴定

从表现叶斑驳症状的扶桑病株上获得一病毒分离物,电镜下可见约300 nm×18 nm的杆状粒子,其与烟草花叶病毒抗血清呈明显的阳性反应,dsRNA约为6.4 kbp。根据烟草花叶病毒(tobacco.mosaic virus,TMV)的RNA序列设计引物,进行RT-PCR检测,扩增出约800 bp的预期特异片段。将PCR产物连接pMD18-T载体,转化大肠杆菌DH5α,得到了含有目的片段的重组子。序列分析表明,与周雪平等报道的序列(GenBank AJ011933.1)同源性达99％。通过生物学、病毒粒子观察、血清学以及分子生物学实验结果,确定该病毒分离物为TMV。     

A Tobacco etch virus NW isolate that overcomes pvr1 and pvr12 resistance in Capsicum sp.

Two important sources of Capsicum annuum (bell pepper) resistance were evaluated for their response to inoculation with two isolates of Tobacco etch virus strain NW (TEV‐NW, genus Potyvirus). The resistant cultivars were CA4 and Dempsey, which contain the pvr1 and pvr1² resistance genes, respectively. TEV‐NW was maintained by mechanical passage in the susceptible pepper cultivar Early Calwonder and Nicotiana tabacum cv. Kentucky 14. In initial experiments, the TEV‐NW isolate maintained in Early Calwonder infected two of seven CA4 plants; however, none of the CA4 plants inoculated with the TEV‐NW isolate maintained in Kentucky 14 were infected. The infected CA4 plants had low virus titres in non‐inoculated leaves and did not develop visible symptoms. When the infected CA4 plants were used as inoculum of additional CA4 plants, all newly inoculated plants became infected, developed systemic symptoms and accumulated virus in non‐inoculated leaves more quickly than the originally infected CA4 plants. This new NW isolate, referred to as NW‐CA4, was shown to overcome the resistances expressed by both CA4 (pvr1) and Dempsey (pvr1²). The potyviral VPg is believed to be the determinant for pvr1 and pvr1² resistance genes, both of which are eIF4E‐encoding genes. The VPg amino acid sequence for NW‐CA4 was determined and compared with that of NW isolates and different TEV strains. No amino acid variation was identified that explained the infectivity of NW‐CA4 in CA4 and Dempsey plants.     

2b Protein is essential to induce a novel gradual cell death in Zucchini yellow mosaic virus-inoculated cucumber cotyledon co-infected with Cucumber mosaic virus

Cucumber cotyledons inoculated with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, Pepo strain) or Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV, Z5-1 isolate) developed either mild chlorotic spots or no symptoms. Cotyledons treated with CMV plus ZYMV also developed mild chlorotic spots. However, plants ZYMV-inoculated cotyledons had veinal yellowing and gradual cell death by 20 days postinoculation (dpi) when co-inoculated with CMV on the other cotyledon. When analyzing this synergism, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that CMV gradually increased in CMV-inoculated cotyledons of plants, with the other cotyledon mock- or ZYMV-inoculated. However, CMV significantly increased at 9 to 14 dpi in the ZYMV-inoculated cotyledons of plants co-infected with CMV. ZYMV similarly increased in cotyledon pairs of both co-infected and singly infected plants. Inoculation with PepoΔ2b, a modified Pepo-CMV that lacks translation of the 2b protein, revealed that PepoΔ2b without the 2b protein systemically infected cucumber but induced no symptoms on cotyledons or true leaves. Plants with a ZYMV-inoculated cotyledon and co-infected with PepoΔ2b did not undergo cell death; nevertheless, PepoΔ2b was at high levels comparable to levels of CMV in the ZYMV-inoculated cotyledon. The 2b protein thus seems essential for induction of the novel gradual cell death in ZYMV-inoculated cotyledons of cucumbers co-infected with CMV.     

A new furovirus infecting barley in France closely related to the Japanese soil-borne wheat mosaic virus

In April 2001, stunted barley plants bearing mosaic symptoms were observed in a field in France (Marne Department, 51). Rod-shaped and flexuous particles were visualized by electron microscopy and positive serological reactions were detected by ELISA with Barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) and Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus (SBCMV) polyclonal antisera. The tubular virus which was soil transmissible to barley cv. Esterel was separated from BaYMV by serial mechanical inoculations to barley cv. Esterel. This furo-like virus, in contrast to a French isolate of SBCMV, could be transmitted to Hordeum vulgare, Avena sativa, Beta vulgaris and Datura stramonium. RT-PCR was used to amplify the 3′-terminal 1500 nucleotides of RNA1 and the almost complete sequence of RNA2. Nucleotide and amino acid sequence analyses revealed that the French virus infecting barley is closely related to a Japanese isolate of Soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV-JT) which was originally isolated from barley. This French isolate was named SBWMV-Mar. The 3′ UTRs of both RNAs can be folded into tRNA-like structures which are preceded by a predicted upstream pseudoknot domain with seven and four pseudoknots for RNA1 and RNA2, respectively. The four pseudoknots strongly conserved in RNAs 1 and 2 of SBWMV-Mar show strong similarities to those described earlier in SBWMV RNA2 and were also found in the 3′ UTR of Oat golden stripe virus RNAs 1 and 2 and Chinese wheat mosaic virus RNA2. Sequence analyses revealed that the RNAs 2 of SBWMV-Mar and -JT are likely to be the product of a recombination event between the 3′ UTRs of the RNAs 2 of SBWMV and SBCMV. This is the first report of the occurrence of an isolate closely related to SBWMV-JT outside of Japan.     

番木瓜环斑病毒西瓜株系弱毒突变体的筛选与应用

为防治番木瓜环斑病毒(Papaya ringspot virus,PRSV)在我国葫芦科作物上引起的病毒病害,以PRSV西瓜株系山东分离物(PRSV-SD)侵染性cDNA克隆为基础,采用定点突变方法将辅助成分-蛋白酶保守氨基酸137位和346位的天冬酰胺(N)和417位的缬氨酸(V)突变为丙氨酸(A),应用农杆菌浸润法接种西葫芦叶片并分析突变对PRSV-SD致病力的影响,筛选弱毒突变体,进而评价其交叉保护效果。结果表明,与野生型PRSV-SD相比,获得的3个突变体N137A、N346A和V417A,接种后在西葫芦植株上的症状明显减轻,衣壳蛋白在叶片中的积累水平分别为野生型PRSV-SD的24.0%、13.0%和4.0%,均为弱毒突变体。当保护间隔期为10 d时,弱毒突变体N137A具有完全的交叉保护效果,N346A可延迟发病15 d,而V417A无交叉保护效果。当间隔保护期为15 d时,弱毒突变体N137A和N346A的保护效率分别为100.0%和26.7%,而V417A无交叉保护效果。     

Accumulation of short interfering RNAs characteristic of RNA silencing precedes recovery of tomato plants from severe symptoms of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potato spindle tuber viroid</Emphasis> infection

Tomato plants infected with Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) had severe leaf curling and vein necrosis. The disease symptoms began to diminish during the late stages of infection, however, and almost healthy-looking leaves began to appear on the upper portion of the plants. PSTVd concentrations reached their highest levels in leaves with severe symptoms and decreased in upper leaves recovering from severe symptoms. PSTVd-specific short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), characteristic of RNA silencing, accumulated in all leaves in which PSTVd reached a detectable level, suggesting that recovery from severe disease was induced by RNA silencing via sequence-specific degradation of PSTVd.