Purification and some properties of Papaya meleira virus, a novel virus infecting papayas in Brazil

'Meleira', or 'sticky disease', is currently the most damaging papaya disease in the mid-eastern Brazilian growing regions. Consistent disease transmission via latex injection, presence of similar isometric particles in the laticiferous vessels of diseased plants, and detection of double-stranded DNA in naturally and experimentally infected papaya trees suggest that a virus is the causal agent. Conclusive evidence for viral aetiology was previously lacking, mostly because every attempt to purify the putative virus from infected papayas had failed. Following the successful purification and partial characterization of the meleira virus, healthy papaya seedlings injected with purified virus particles later developed typical symptoms of the disease. Negatively stained, isometric, full and 'empty' purified virus particles measured 42 and 38 nm, respectively. The viral genome was a single dsRNA molecule of about 12 kbp. Several capsid proteins, ranging in size from 14·4 to 45 kDa, were consistently revealed by PAGE. Papaya meleira virus (PMeV) appears to represent a novel group of viruses, with no known similar counterpart among known plant-, vertebrate-, invertebrate- or prokaryote-infecting viruses.     

Identification ofTomato Mottle Taino Begomovirus strains in Cuban potato fields

The presence of a begomovirus in potato plants with yellow mottle symptoms was determined for the first time in Cuba. The incidence of typical begomovirus-like symptoms in potato plants in some regions of Havana province (Güira de Melena, San José de las Lajas, Güines and Boyeros) during the growing seasons from 1992 to 1998 was in general low. However, in some cultivars belonging to the National Program for Potato Genetic Improvement, the incidence reached 100%. Yield losses, determined in 1992 and 1994, ranged as high as 19% to 56.33% depending on the cultivar. Characterization of the causal agent was done by light microscopy, host range (graft and mechanical transmission), DNA hybridizations, polymerase chain reaction, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Nucleotide sequence of the amplified fragments revealed the presence ofTomato mottle Taino virus. The virus was transmittedvia tubers and has been detected in mixed infections withPotato virus X and withPotato leaf roll virus. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Oct. 20, 2003. The first two authors contributed equally to this work.     

Diversity of the coat protein-coding region among Ilarvirus isolates infecting hop in Australia

Coat protein (CP) sequences of 17 Ilarvirus isolates were obtained from hops at three farms in Tasmania, Australia. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences and additional database sequences indicated several Apple mosaic virus (ApMV) isolate clusters distinct from Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV): one containing isolates from apple; one containing a single isolate from almond; a third containing Australian hop isolates of the 'apple' serotype and a German isolate of unknown origin; and a fourth containing Australian hop isolates of the 'intermediate' serotype. Isolates from hop, pear and prune from the Czech Republic either formed a fifth grouping, or were divergent members of the 'intermediate' serotype group. Deduced amino acid (aa) residue differences between the coat proteins of the two hop isolate serotype groups were highlighted as possible regions of serological differentiation. No evidence for coinfection of plants with both serotypes was found. Tests of ApMV-infected hop buds using the Shirofugen flowering cherry assay revealed a possible differentiation of the two strains based on hypersensitivity. Because of serological similarities to PNRSV, these viruses have commonly been reported as strains of PNRSV. However, this study shows ilarviruses from Australian hops are strains of ApMV, but distinct from those infecting Malus spp.     

A new approach to evaluate relative resistance and tolerance of tomato cultivars to begomoviruses causing the tomato yellow leaf curl disease in Spain

A simple procedure to evaluate relative resistance and tolerance of tomato cultivars to the begomoviruses causing tomato yellow leaf curl (TYLC) disease in Spain was developed. To estimate the resistance and tolerance levels of a cultivar, several formulae were developed based on the ratio of infected plants, virus titre (estimated by tissue–print hybridization) and symptom intensity. The formulae were applied to five commercial tomato cultivars (Amoretto, Birloque, Royesta, Tovigreen and Ulises) naturally infected by TYLC viruses. The analyses showed that Ulises, Birloque and Tovigreen exhibited a moderate resistance, and Ulises was also highly tolerant. There was a positive correlation between symptom intensity and virus titre in infected plants, suggesting that the hybridization technique could also be used as an early estimator of tolerance. Finally, molecular hybridization and nucleotide sequence analyses of the begomovirus intergenic region showed that the local TYLC virus population consisted of a single species, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV, formerly TYLCV-Israel), with low genetic variation (nucleotide identity between isolates higher than 97%).     

一个马铃薯Y病毒山东分离物的分离与鉴定

 从具有典型花叶症状的马铃薯叶片中分离到马铃薯Y病毒(Potato virus Y,PVY)(本文称PVY-SD-TA分离物),扩繁后,提纯病毒,电镜下可观察到700~900 nm×11 nm的病毒粒体,病组织超薄切片观察可见风轮状的内含体结构,寄主反应特性研究表明其能侵染2科13种植物。SDS-PAGE电泳检测病毒编码的外壳蛋白亚基的分子量为33 kDa。以PVY-SD-TA基因组RNA为模板,应用RT-PCR方法和特异引物合成了外壳蛋白基因。对cDNA全序列分析表明,PVY-SD-TA CP基因核苷酸序列与N株系的同源性为96%,与GenBank中登录序列号为AJ390306的O株系分离物的同源性最高,为99%;与国内不同学者报道的PVY中国流行株的同源性分别为96%,97%和98%。通过以上生物学特性和分子水平的研究将PVY-SD-TA鉴定为普通株系(PVY^O株系)。     

利用RT-PCR检测库尔勒香梨苹果茎痘病毒的研究

 以库尔勒香梨新鲜、冷藏、冷冻叶片和皮层为材料,对提取双链RNA (dsRNA)的2种方法和提取总RNA的3种方法进行了分析比较,并对总RNA的提取方法进行了改进,获得了纯度较高、完整性较好的dsRNA和总RNA,在此基础上进行了反转录(RT)和PCR扩增。在国内首次完成了对苹果茎痘病毒(ASPV)的RT-PCR检测,建立了ASPV有效RT-PCR反应体系。用此体系扩增到ASPV一个长约316 bp的片段。实验表明以dsRNA和总RNA为模板均能成功进行RT-PCR检测,且dsRNA优于总RNA。     

Non-structural plum pox potyvirus proteins detected by immunogold labelling

Plum pox potyvirus (PPV) induces in infected Nicotiana clevelandii cells characteristic crystalline inclusions known as nuclear inclusions (NI) when located in the nucleus and as dense material (Dm) when located in the cytoplasm. Crystalline inclusions contain protease (NIa) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NIb) proteins. It is now well established for all potyviruses that cylindrical inclusions contain CI helicase ATPase protein (Martin et al., 1992). The intracellular location of other non-structural PPV proteins remains unknown. Using Escherichia coli expression vectors, specific antibodies were obtained against P1, P3, 6K2 and NIb PPV proteins for which antibodies were not yet available. As expected, NIb antiserum labelled crystalline inclusions. P1, P3 and 6K2 proteins were present in both types of crystalline inclusions found in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm of PPV-infected leaves of N. clevelandii, suggesting that nuclear inclusions and dense material were composed of the same proteins. This composition is discussed.     

Phylogenetic relationships between rice dwarf phytoreovirus isolates from five countries

Rice dwarf virus isolates were collected from several locations in Japan, the Philippines, China, Nepal and Korea. Genomic dsRNA segment profiles in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis differed among the isolates. There were less differences in the profiles between isolates from Japan and Korea than in those between these two Countries and others. Nucleic acid hybridization was used to examine the extent of genomic variation. Full-length cDNAs to all genomic segments encoding non-structural proteins (S4, S6, S9, S10, S11 and S12) were synthesized from two Japanese isolates, and were used for dot-blot hybridization. Hybridizations using probes generated from the full-length cDNA clones failed to differentiate isolates from different geographical areas. However, cDNA probes covering a variable region of S12 were able to distinguish Japanese and Korean isolates from those of other countries. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on the amino acid sequence of P12 encoded by S12 grouped Japanese and Korean isolates together. The Chinese isolates from two different locations (Yunnan and Fujian) were closely related to each other, and were the most distantly related to Japanese and Korean isolates.     

Biological and molecular characterization of Tomato spotted wilt Virus in Israel

Received April 24, 1997; received in final form June 29, 1997. Symptoms resembling tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) infections were documented among ornamental and vegetable crops in commercial greenhouses and open fields in Israel. Plants exhibiting these symptoms were collected from January 1992 to December 1996. Among cultivated plants analyzed for TSWV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 19 species representing five families were found to be infected; natural infection was also recorded in six plant species of weeds. Virus identity was characterized by host range, serology and electron microscopy. Serological reaction with the isolates, found in Israel, using antisera from different sources as well as the sequence analysis of the nucleocapsid gene, demonstrated that the Israeli isolates of TSWV are a member of tospovirus serogroup I, type I (BR-01 strain). No virus transmission was found in seeds collected from virus-infected vegetable and ornamental crops. A non-radioactive molecular probe derived from the cloned nucleocapsid isolate enables specific detection of the virus in crude sap from infected plants. The detection of TSWV in Israel constitutes a severe potential threat to the ornamental and vegetable industry.     

狂犬病毒中和抗体检测试验中病毒回归试验的重要性

狂犬病毒中和试验的病毒回归试验表明,病毒攻毒液的实际剂量与理论剂量不完全一致.建议在新版<中华人民共和国兽用生物制品质量标准>中增加对病毒攻毒实际剂量范围的规定,以使结果的判定更为合理.