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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Houma, Louisiana » Sugarcane Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #270784
Title: First report of Sorghum mosaic virus causing mosaic in Miscanthus sinesis

Author
item Grisham, Michael
item MAROON-LANGO, CLARISSA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item Hale, Anna

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/6/2011
Publication Date: 1/1/2012
Citation: Grisham, M.P., Maroon-Lango, C.J., Hale, A.L. 2012. First report of Sorghum mosaic virus causing mosaic in Miscanthus sinesis. Plant Disease. 96:150.

Interpretive Summary: Miscanthus is being evaluated as a bioenergy feedstock because of its potentially significant biomass production, perennial habit, and lack of major diseases and pests. It is also a valuable parent in the sugarcane breeding program as source of cold tolerance. Mosaic symptoms were observed on a clone of Miscanthus sinenesis maintained at the USDA, ARS, Sugarcane Research Unit in May 2010. The plant tested positive for Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) using two diagnostic techniques. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a potyvirus on Miscanthus. Mosaic caused by SrMV could become an economically important disease of Miscanthus if grown for bioenergy feedstock on large crop areas. Additionally, a SrMV-infected Miscanthus crop could pose a threat to established crops of susceptible sugarcane and sorghum.

Technical Abstract: Miscanthus is being evaluated as a bioenergy feedstock because of its potentially significant biomass production, perennial habit, and lack of major diseases and pests. It is also a valuable parent in the sugarcane breeding program as source of cold tolerance. Mosaic symptoms were observed on a clone of Miscanthus sinenesis Anderss. maintained at the USDA, ARS, Sugarcane Research Unit in May 2010. The plant tested positive using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with the Potyvirus Group PCR Test (Agdia, Inc., Elkhart, IN) using primers sets Poty1F/Poty1R and Poty2F/Poty2R. After sequencing the potyvirus amplicons, a BLAST search in GenBank resulted in the highest identities (81% and 69%) with Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) at the nucleic acid level and a 72 and 95% similarity at the amino acid level. Extracts from the Miscanthus clone also tested positive for potyvirus by indirect enzyme-linked immunoasorbent (ELISA) using the ‘universal’ potyvirus monoclonal antibody, PTY1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a potyvirus on Miscanthus. Mosaic caused by SrMV could become an economically important disease of Miscanthus if grown for bioenergy feedstock on large crop areas. Additionally, a SrMV-infected Miscanthus crop could pose a threat to established crops of susceptible sugarcane and sorghum.