Tentative description of Hippeastrum latent virus in Hippeastrum hybridum plants and differentiation from Hippeastrum mosaic virus

In mosaic-diseased plants ofHippeastrum hybridum two viruses were found. One virus with a normal length of 706 nm caused local lesions onHyoscyamus niger test plants and mosaic symptoms in the leaves ofH. hybridum. This virus was identified with theHippeastrum mosaic virus (HMV) (*/*∶*/*∶E/E∶S/*) and had a dilution end point between 10^?3 and 10^?4, a thermal inactivation point between 55–60°C and a longevity at room temperature of 28–32 hours. The second virus had a normal length between 584 and 611 nm depending on the method used. It caused local lesions onGomphrena globosa andChenopodium quinoa leaves, and after inoculation ofH. hybridum was found to be present without showing symptoms. It was readily purified from inoculated leaf tissue ofC. quinoa andNicotiana clevelandii by differential centrifugation and ofH. hybridum by density-gradient centrifugation. Purified virus had an absorption minimum at 242 nm, a maximum at 262 nm and a 260/280 absorption ratio of 1.19. The dilution end point was between 10^?3 and 10^?4, the thermal inactivation point between 70 and 80°C and the longevity in vitro at room temperature 28–32 hours. Although no direct comparisons have been made with other members of the potexvirus group, the virus seems to be a new one now namedHippeastrum latent virus. Both viruses were not seed-borne.     

Virus eradication from some Pelargonium zonale cultivars by meristem-tip culture

On the older leaves ofPelargonium zonale chlorotic rings and flecks are common, especially during spring and fall. From such plants an isometric virus can be isolated that causes local lesions on the leaves ofChenopodium quinoa. An attempt was made to produce symptomless plants, reacting negatively onC. quinoa. Meristem tips on a basal medium supplemented with α-naphthalene acetic acid and coconut milk produced abundant callus, but no plantlets. However, on media containing low concentrations of indole acetic acid and kinetin or benzyl adenine, some plants were produced that fulfilled the above requirements. Those selected on horticultural properties, are considered as valuable mother plants. Of twenty-one cultivars such plants were obtained. They may prove an important contribution to the improvement of theP. zonale industry in the Netherlands.     

Investigation ofHippeastrum mosaic virus inHippeastrum hybridum

An attempt was made to identify a mosaic disease inHippeastrum hybridum. Infectious virus material could be demonstrated in roots, leaves, stem, perianth, stamen and pistil. Inclusion bodies were found in the epidermis of leaves, stem, spatha leaves and in the perianth. Virus concentration in a young stage was high but decreased by aging of the perianth. Efforts to transmit the virus by aphids failed. However, the virus was transmitted by seed in a few cases. Plants of 30 species reacted negatively upon inoculation with the virus.Hippeastrum hybridum, Gomphrena globosa, Chlorophytum spec. andLycopersicum esculentum could be infected experimentally. On account of the host range and presence of inclusion bodies the mosaic symptoms inHippeastrum are not caused by tomato spotted wilt virus or Cucumber mosaic virus. Results suggest that the virus under investigation is theHippeastrum mosaic virus. Dr.M. K. Corbett, Wageningen, succeeded in purifying the virus by density gradient centrifugation. Whe preparation contained flexuous rod particles. Plants ofDatura stramonium, Nicotiana glutinosa andN. tabacum Samsun could be infected. Within two weeks after inoculation with purified virus solution these plants showed systemic symptoms.

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Samenvatting In een kwekerij te Hoorn werden planten vanHippeastrum hybridum aangetroffen, die mozaïekverschijnselen vertoonden. De oorzaak hiervan werd nagegaan. Infectieus virusmateriaal kon worden aangetoond in wortels, bladeren, bloemstengel, bloemdekbladen, meeldraden en stijl. Celinsluitsels kwamen voor in de epidermis van bladeren en stengel en in de bloemschede. De aanwezigheid van insluitsels in het bloemdek was afhankelijk van de ouderdom van de bloem. Er schijnt een omgekeerd evenredige relatie te bestaan tussen de virusconcentratie en het aantal insluitsels in bloemen.Pogingen om het virus over te brengen door bladluizen mislukten. In enkele gevallen had zaadoverdracht plaats.Dertig plantesoorten reageerden negatief op een inoculatie met virushoudend sap.Hippeastrum hybridum, Gomphrena globosa, Chlorophytum spec. enLycopersicum esculentum konden wel worden geïnfecteerd. Gezien de waardplantenreeks en het voorkomen van celinsluitsels kunnen de mozaïeksymptomen inHippeastrum niet toegeschreven worden aan Tomato spotted wilt-virus of het komkommer-mozaïek-virus, maar is het waarschijnlijk dat zij worden veroorzaakt door hetHippeastrum-mozaïek-virus, reeds beschreven doorBrierley (1948),Johnson (1951) enProcenko & Procenko (1964).Dr.M. K. Corbett, Wageningen, slaagde erin het virus te zuiveren door middel van density gradient-centrifugering.Datura stramonium, N. glutinosa enN. tabacum Samsun werden systemisch ziek binnen twee weken na inoculatie met de gezuiverde virus-oplossing.

     

Preliminary description of a potyvirus from Vallota speciosa

Apotyvirus, isolated fromVallota speciosa, is tentatively designatedVallota mosaic virus (VMV). VMV was easily transmissible in sap and could be transferred byMyzus persicae in a nonpersistent manner. Infection was symptomless inNicotiana clevelandii andSpinacia oleracea, whereasHyoscyamus niger, chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor, Tetragonia expansa andGomphrena globosa reacted with local lesions. Dilution end-point was 10⁴–10⁵, thermal inactivation at c. 60°C and ageing in vitro 4–8 days. With the electron microscope elongate particles with a normal length of about 750 nm could be detected in crude sap. In ultrathin sections virus particles were observed in the cytoplasm, dispersed as well as aggregated. Pinwheel and laminate aggregated inclusions were present in sectioned leaf material. The inclusions observed in negatively stained crude sap preparations exhibited fine linear striations with a periodicity of 5.3 nm.     

The occurrence of callose during the process of local lesion formation

Callose depositionwas studied in relation to the development of local lesions using various virus-host combinations. Fluorescent spots due to callose formation at the initial sites of infection could be detected several hours before local lesions appeared in the combinationsNicotiana glutinosa — tobacco mosaic virus; ‘Samsun NN’ tobacco and ‘Pinto’ bean — tobacco mosaic virus and tobaco necrosis virus; ‘Pinto’ bean — cowpea mosaic virus. The fluorescent spots enlarged with time, and covered the lesion areas. Following the development of lesions the fluorescence decreased and was then to be seen only around the lesions. It eventually disappeared when the necrosis of cells in the lesions was complete. Strong callose fluorescence was also seen in veins near the lesions. In some cases fluorescence remained after local lesions had turned completely brown. When ‘Samsun NN’ tobacco was studied with tomato spotted wilt, tobacco rattle and tomato black ring viruses, which produce systemic necrosis as well as local lesions on the inoculated plants, similar callose fluorescence could be detected prior to local lesion formation. Here also, the fluorescence was clear during the early stages of lesion formation and grew weaker as lesion formation progressed, though in these cases no fluorescence was seen in veins near the lesions. The relation between callose deposition in and outside the local lesions and the restriction of virus movement from these tissues is discussed.     

Further characterization of dandelion yellow mosaic virus from lettuce and dandelion

A damaging virus isolated in the Netherlands from lettuce was studied and compared with a virus isolated from dandelion orginating from Czechoslovakia. It was found to biologically resemble dandelion yellow mosaic virus incompletely described from dandelion and lettuce in Great Britain (Kassanis, 1944, 1947) and from dandelion in Germany (Hein, 1963). Mechanical transmission was greatly improved by buffer solution and transmission byMyzus persicae seemed to be in the non-persistent manner. Longevity in vitro of the virus hardly exceeded one day. Thermal inactivation was between 60 and 65 °C and the dilution end-point was between 10 000 and 100 000. It was still infectious in leaf material dried and stored over CaCl₂ at 4 °C for 6 1/2 years. The virus was isolated and purified with difficulty and was found to consist of one type of spherical particle of ca 30 nm diameter, with a sedimentation coefficient of 159 S, a buoyant density of 1.42 g.cm^?3 and an A₂₆₀/A₂₈₀ ratio of 1.67. An antiserum was prepared with a titre of 256 in the agar double-diffusion test. The virus could be identified in crude extracts from lettuce andChenopodium amaranticolor by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), but not by agar double diffusion. It could only be visualized in crude sap in the electron microscope after trapping of virus particles on antiserum-coated grids. The virus cannot yet be assigned to any known virus group. It is of potential economic importance to lettuce because of its occurrence in widely differing regions in Europe, its aggressiveness and virulence on 22 out of 23 lettuce cultivars tested (and on endive) and its pathogenicity toLactuca genotypes which are resistant to lettuce mosaic virus and other important pathogens of lettuce. ‘Laibacher Eis’ was the only cultivar showing some tolerance.     

The overwintering mode ofBemisia tabaci and its parasitoids in Israel

Wild and cultivated plants in the vicinity of Kibbutz Nahshon and a few additional locations in Israel were sampled for the presence ofBemisia tabaci Genna-dius (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). The whiteflies, together with their parasites,Eretmocerus mundus andEncarsia lutea, were found to develop on numerous host species throughout the winter. Especially high levels were reached onLan-tana camara, Abutilon grandifolium andIpomoea batatas. During late winter and spring the population on these hosts declined. From April onwards the populations increased on potatoes and sunflowers.     

The partial characterization of melon vein-banding mosaic virus, a newly recognized virus infecting cucurbits in Taiwan

A potyvirus (designated as no. 656) causing mosaic or vein-banding symptoms on melons was isolated and characterized. The virus was mechanically transmitted to 14 herbaceous plant species, and induced mosaic symptoms in most cucurbitaceous plants. Aphis gossypii transmitted the virus non-persistently, and flexuous filamentous virus particles c. 755 nm in length were consistently observed in extracts of the infected pumpkin leaf tissues. Pinwheel and tubular inclusions were observed in the cytoplasm of infected zucchini leaf tissues. The virus was purified from infected pumpkin leaves by isopycnic centrifugation (Cs₂SO₄). The molecular weights of purified capsid and cylindrical inclusion proteins as estimated by SDS-PAGE were 32·5 and 73 KD_a, respectively. In SDS-immunodiffusion tests, antiserum to virus particles from isolate 656 was serologically unrelated to ZYMV, WMV-2, PRV-W and a type W variant of PRV, but antiserum to its cylindrical inclusion protein did produce spur precipitin bands between homologous and WMV-2 antigen wells. However, neither WMV-2 virus particle nor cylindrical inclusion antisera reacted with this virus. Furthermore, this virus was not serologically related to BCMV, BYMV, CYVV, SMV, WMV-M or ZYFV. Based on test results and symptomatology, this virus appears to be a new potyvirus, for which the name melon vein-banding mosaic virus (MVbMV) is proposed.     

The occurrence of a soluble protein (E1) in cucumber cotyledons infected with plant viruses

Analysis on polyacrylamide gels of the soluble protein fraction of cucumber cotyledons infected with tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) revealed a stimulated protein component, designated as protein E₁. The amount of protein E₁ was related to the size and number of local lesions produced on the inoculated cotyledons. Protein E₁ stained positive for carbohydrate and could be partly purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G 100. The molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 22000 d. Protein E₁ seems to be serologically unrelated to any of the structural proteins of TSWV. Following inoculation of cucumber cotyledons with the yellow strain of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), a protein with identical mobility on 7.5 and 10% polycrylamide gels to protein E₁ was detected. These proteins are probably identical and their accumulation is a result of the infection process. There was a close correspondence between the amount of protein E₁ and the severity of symptom expression. A protein with a mobility differing slightly from protein E₁ occurred in the soluble protein fraction ofNicotiana rustica after infection with either TSWV or tobacco mosaic virus.     

Isolation and characterization of a novel potyvirus tentatively named Ornithogalum virus 2

A novel potyvirus, tentatively named Ornithogalum virus 2 (OV-2) because only its nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene has been revealed, was isolated for the first time from Ornithogalum thyrsoides. OV-2 had a flexuous particle (700–740 nm in length) and was sap and aphid transmissible. The virus had a narrow host range; of 36 test plants in 12 families, only O. thyrsoides and O. dubium were infected. Because the virus caused characteristic stripe mosaic on O. thyrsoides, we propose Ornithogalum stripe mosaic virus (OrSMV), instead of OV-2 for the proper name of the virus. The nucleotide sequence data reported is available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under accession number AB271783.     

Host differentiation and serological homology of pea seed-borne mosaic virus isolates

Seven isolates of pea seed-borne mosaic virus (PSbMV) were compared on selectedPisum sativum L. differentials and by microprecipitin and SDS-gel serology and particle length. All isolates were characterized by 750 nm particle-length modes and were closely related serologically, but some were readily distinguished onP. sativum differentials. Isolate distinctions were of the magnitude typical for virus strains. Differentials, diversePisum germplasm from U.S. Plant Introduction accessions, provided a practical means of PSbMV strain differentiation.Samenvatting Tussen 1966 en 1970 zijn in verschillende landen virussen gerapporteerd, die bij erwt met zaad overgaan, maar in verschillende opzichten leken te verschillen. Isolaten uit Japan en de USA bleken serologisch nauw aan elkaar verwant, zo niet identiek te zijn. Daarom werd de internationale naam pea seed-borne mosaic virus voorgesteld. In Nederland was het virus beschreven onder de naam erwterolmozaïekvirus.Zeven isolaten van het virus uit de USA, Japan, Tsjechoslowakije en Nederland zijn nader met elkaar vergeleken in reactie op geselecteerde differentiërende rassen van erwt (Pisum sativum) en op enkele andere plantessorten, en in serologische eigenschappen zowel als in deeltjeslengte.Serologisch waren de isolaten niet van elkaar te onderscheiden, wel echter van het verwante bonescherpmozaïekvirus. De voor alle vormen van het laatste virus onvatbare Perfection-type erwterassen bleken al eerder alle vatbaar te zijn voor het erwterolmozaïekvirus. Ook verschillen de isolaten niet in deeltjeslengte (750 nm).Bij toetsing in zes verschillende over de wereld verspreide laboratoria bleek de reactie van de differentiërende erwterassen te variëren van een snelle, de hele plant dodende necrose (groep I) tot onvatbaarheid (groep V). Ook tussen de virusisolaten bestonden kleine verschillen in reactie. Het Nederlandse isolaat E224 gedroeg zich opvallend mild. Ook in de, directe vergelijkingsproeven op enkele toetsplantesoorten bleken kleine biologische verschillen te bestaan. De geconstateerde verschillen overschrijden echter niet die tussen stammen van eenzelfde virus. Wellicht gaat het bij het optreden van necrose en van zwakke symptomen om genen die het vatbaarheidsgensbm modificeren.Contribution of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration, Agricultural Research, in cooperation with the Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis. Technical Paper No. 5192, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.Mention of a trademark of proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable.Authors are members of the International Working Group on Legume Viruses.     

Leaf area dynamics of potato cultivars infected by Phytophthora infestans

The effect ofPhytophthora infestans on foliage growth and senescence of three potato cultivars was studied in two field experiments. Inoculum or fungicide was applied in different frequencies to establish a range of levels of disease. At weekly intervals leaf numbers were determined as well as vertical canopy profiles of senescent and lesion covered leaf and stem area. P. infestans reduced appearance of new leaves on the main stem only at the highest level of disease. The cultivars differed more in rate of primary infection of healthy leaves than in the subsequent increase in percentage lesion coverage of the infected leaves. Differences between cultivars in stem lesion coverage resembled the differences for leaf lesions, but in every cultivar stem lesions were most prominent in the top of the canopy, contrary to leaf lesions.P. infestans stimulated leaf senescence similarly in the different cultivars.     

侵染紫松果菊的黄瓜花叶病毒分离物鉴定

从表现黄花叶症状的紫松果菊病株上获得分离物2-1-2,电镜下可见直径约30 nm的球状病毒粒体,其与黄瓜花叶病毒抗体呈强的阳性反应,ds-RNA的谱带类型与本实验室保存的标准黄瓜花叶病毒株系相同。通过生物学、病毒粒体观察、血清学以及病毒核酸双链试验结果,确定该病毒分离物为黄瓜花叶病毒。     

Viruses and virus diseases in Dutch bulbous irises (Iris hollandica) in the Netherlands

The occurrence in Dutch bulbous irises (Iris hollandica) of two viruses — iris mild mosaic virus (IMMV) and iris severe mosaic virus (ISMV) — in association with two diseases — mosaic (mozaïek) and grey (grijs) — was reported so far. In the Netherlands, three virus diseases have been distinguished: mild mosaic (mozaïek), mild yellow mosaic (bont), and severe mosaic (grijs). These diseases were associated with IMMV (750 nm), IMMV plus iris mild yellow mosaic virus (IMYMV, a newly recognized virus; 660 nm), and IMMV plus ISMV (750 nm), respectively. The viruses are antigenically distinct and their presence could be established serologically. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), tobacco rattle virus (TRV), and tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV) were also detected in irises, but not in association with particular symptoms.Generally, the symptoms of the diseases can be distinguished early in the growing season, particularly in March. Later on, the distinctive symptoms mostly disappear on plants showing mild symptoms but not on severely affected plants. Growing and forcing conditions influence the symptoms. The IMYMV and the ISMV transmitted in May and early in June byMacrosiphum euphorbiae cause more severe symptoms than those induced by transmissions late in June and in July. Problems related to disease control in irises are discussed.Samenvatting Het virusonderzoek bij Hollandse irissen (Iris hollandica) in Nederland leidde tot het onderscheiden van drie ziekten, namelijk: het mozaïek (mild mosaic), het bont (mild yellow mosaic) en het grijs (severe mosaic). Het voorkomen van iris-mozaïek virus (deeltjeslengte 750 nm), iris-mozaïek virus plus iris-bontvirus (660 nm) en iris-mozaïekvirus plus iris-grijsvirus (750 nm), welke virussen serologisch zijn te onderscheiden, werd in verband gebracht met respectievelijk het mozaïek, het bont en het grijs. Geen verband werd gevonden tussen het voorkomen van tabaksmozaïekvirus, tabaksratelvirus en tabakskringvlekkenvirus en de genoemde ziekten.Op basis van de symptomen zijn de ziekten te velde vroeg in het voorjaar meestal wel te onderscheiden. Later in het groeiseizoen verdwijnt dit onderscheid veelal bij planten met milde symptomen, maar niet bij planten met ernstige symptomen. De symptomen van het mozaïek worden pas een paar maanden na de opkomst van de planten zichtbaar. De licht- en donkergroene mozaïeksymptomen doen zich duidelijk voor omstreeks de bloei. Het bont is bij opkomst te herkennen aan het geelgroene mozaïek, dat voornamelijk aan de bladranden voorkomt (Fig. 1). Na de lengtegroei van de planten worden de symptomen op de bloemscheden en op de brede bladgedeelten zichtbaar (Fig. 2). Het grijs (Fig. 2) uit zich met brede geel-en donkergroene strepen op de bladeren, die tot onder het grondniveau doorlopen en bij opkomst duidelijk zichtbaar zijn. Het geelgroene, soms streepvormige mozaïek blijft bij de lengtegroei van de planten duidelijk zichtbaar op de bladbases. Ernstige grijs-symptomen zijn bloembreking, gedraaide stand van smallere bladeren en dwerggroei van de planten. De duidelijkheid van de ziektebeelden, zowel van het mozaïek als van het bont en het grijs, is afhankelijk van de cultivar en van de teeltomstandigheden te velde en in de kas.Het iris-bontvirus en het iris-grijsvirus geven bij overdracht door de bladluis (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) in mei en in de eerste helft van juni in het volgende groeiseizoen ernstiger aangetaste planten dan bij latere overdracht.De mogelijkheden van de herkenning en de bestrijding van virusaantastingen in iriissen worden beschreven.     

The distribution of passionfruit ringspot virus in its main host plants in Ivory Coast

A field survey and testing of leaf samples have given an impression of the distribution of passionfruit ringspot virus in twoAdenia and twoPassiflora spp. in Ivory Coast. The data suggest thatAdenia spp. are the original host plants of the virus. Introduction to Ivory Coast of the virus withP. edulis seems unlikely. Since theAdenia spp. prefer forest and shrub vegetations and aphid flights are shorter in the dryer savannah areas of the North, the cultivatedP. edulis has chances to remain healthy over a prolonged period of growth, which is excluded in the South of the country.     

Nerine latent virus: some properties and serological detectability in Nerine bowdenii

Nerine latent virus (NeLV), first found inNerine bowdenii, may occur also in the otherNerine species investigated so far:N. sarniensis, N. flexuosa Alba, andN. Mansellii. Chenopodium amaranticolor, C. quinoa, andGomphrena globosa sometimes reacted with local lesions after mechanical inoculation with NeLV.Nicotiana clevelandii andHippeastrum were symptomless hosts. In this respect NeLV resembled the incompletely describedHippeastrum latent virus (HLV).Serologically NeLV was closely related to HLV and to carnation latent virus (CaLV), but differed from the latter in host plant reaction. A more distant relationship was observed with some other carlaviruses, wheareas NeLV also reacted with an antiserum to potato virus X.Depending on the lot, NeLV could be detected rather reliably with the micro-precipitin test inN. bowdenii Van Roon, but less well in 63. Better results were obtained with the microplate method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The average particle length was 664 nm, the sedimentation coefficient 155 S and the buoyant density 1.298 g/cm³.NeLV can be considered as a member of the carlavirus group. On basis of priority HLV may be considered as NeLV.     

Effect of 6-azauracil on infection with tobacco mosaic virus

6-Azauracil caused a marked reduction in the number and size of local lesions on excisedNicotiana glutinosa leaves or leaf discs inoculated with tobacco mosaic virus or its nucleic acid. The amount of infectivity recovered from tobacco (N. tabacum White Burley) leaf discs floated on the pyrimidine analogue solution and subsequently ground and assayed 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after inoculation with intact virus was reduced in the 24, 48, and 72 h series but reached the same level as that of the water-treated control discs in the 96 h series.By contrast, the amount of infectivity in stripped epidermal tissue ofN. glutinosa leaves inoculated with nucleic acid was not reduced in strips floated on the analogue for 24, 50, and 70 h as compared with water-floated controls. The analogue had no effect on infectivity of the virus in vitro and did not act as an inhibitor of infection.Part of this paper was presented at the International Symposium on Plant Pathology, held in New Delhi from December 27, 1966 till January 1, 1967. A summary will be published in the symposium volume entitled Plant disease problems.     

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)。     

Characterization of a pothos (Scindapsus aureus) virus with unusual properties

A virus for which the name of pothos latent virus (PoLV) is proposed, was isolated by inoculation of sap from symptomless plants ofScindapsus aureus. PoLV had isometric particlesc. 30 nm in diameter, a monopartite genome consisting of a non polyadenylated, single-stranded RNA moleculec. 4,300 nucleotides in length, constitutingc. 17% of the particle weight, and a single type of coat protein subunit with aM _r ofc. 40,000 Daltons. The biological properties (host range reactions) of PoLV resembled those ofTombusviridae for it infected most of the artificial hosts locally, inducing symptoms recalling those elicited by several species of the above family. Like tombus- and carmoviruses, PoLV had two subgenomic RNAs which, however, differed in size from those of both genera. The dsRNA pattern was also distinctly different. Cytopathological features recalled those of tombusviruses except for the lack of multivesicular inclusion bodies. PoLV was serologically related to, but distinct from twoCarmovirus (i.e., galinsoga mosaic and Ahlum waterborne viruses) and threeTombusvirus species (i.e. eggplant mottled crinkle, Sikte waterborne and Lato river viruses). Thus, PoLV had properties somewhat intermediate between those ofTombusvirus andCarmovirus genera but bridged the two taxa through the serological relationship with some of their species. The taxonomic position of PoLV is still undetermined. It must await the results of molecular investigations now underway.