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Title: EVIDENCE FOR MIXED INFECTIONS BY TWO OR MORE VIRUSES CAUSING SEVERE SYMPTOMS AND DECLINE OF BLACKBERRIES

Author
item TZANETAKIS, I - OREGON STATE UNIVERSISTY
item SUSAIMUTHU, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item GERGERICH, R - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Martin, Robert

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/21/2006
Publication Date: 3/1/2006
Citation: Tzanetakis, I.E., Susaimuthu, J., Gergerich, R.C., Martin, R.R. 2006. Evidence for mixed infections by two or more viruses causing severe symptoms and decline of blackberries. Acta Horticulturae.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Virus-like symptoms of vein yellowing and decline in blackberry in Arkansas, North Carolina and South Carolina in the USA were investigated. Based on nucleotide sequence analysis, a new crinivirus named Blackberry yellow vein associated virus (BYVaV) was identified and found to be present in symptomatic plants from each state and, surprisingly, non-symptomatic ‘Chickasaw’ and other cultivars. This suggested that a mixed infection of two or more viruses might explain the symptoms in field-grown plants. The complete nucleotide sequence of the virus has been determined in addition to the sequence of several isolates from plants showing different degrees of disease severity. Electron microscopy revealed potyvirus-specific inclusions in symptomatic blackberry plants, and sequence analysis suggested the presence of a novel potyvirus, which has been named Blackberry virus Y (BVY). BVY is a member of the Potyvirus genus although it lacks the signature motifs involved in vector transmissibility. Non-symptomatic, BYVaV infected ‘Chickasaw’ plants were placed in a production field that contained symptomatic ‘Chickasaw’ blackberry for two-week periods spanning the growing season. Ten of these 150 sentinel plants exhibited yellow vein and decline symptoms. Both BYVaV and BVY primers amplified specific PCR products from these plants. BVY has been identified in several of the ‘Chester’ sentinel plants that were placed in the field in 2004, these plants are being tested for the flexivirus, which has been found in a few sentinel plants previously. At this time, it appears that BYVaV is a consistent component of the disease.