Author
SUSAIMUTHU, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS | |
TZANETAKIS, I - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY | |
GERGERICH, R - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS | |
Martin, Robert |
Submitted to: Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2006 Publication Date: 1/7/2006 Citation: Susaimuthu, J., Tzanetakis, I.E., Gergerich, R.C., Martin, R.R. 2006. Yellow vein-affected blackberries and the presence of a novel crinivirus. Plant Pathology. 55(5):607-613. Interpretive Summary: Virus-like vein yellowing and decline symptoms have been observed in blackberries in the southern and southeastern USA since 2000. DsRNA extracted from symptomatic plants from South Carolina and Arkansas was cloned and sequenced. A new crinivirus was identified initially that was detected in all symptomatic plants and named Blackberry yellow vein associated virus (BYVaV). All blackberry plants that exhibited yellow vein symptoms tested positive for this virus. The sequences of the coat protein gene of the virus from plants that exhibited varying degrees of symptoms were compared and found to be virtually identical. This suggests that differences in virus strains are not responsible for the symptom variation. In addition, there were several asymptomatic plants that tested positive for this virus, suggesting that the disease may be caused by a virus complex. Technical Abstract: During the last five years, blackberry plants in Arkansas, North Carolina and South Carolina exhibited virus-like symptoms of vein yellowing and mosaic, followed in some cases by death. Diagnostic tests for known blackberry viruses failed to identify a causal agent. Double-stranded RNA was extracted from symptomatic plants and cloned. A new member of the Closteroviridae was identified and designated Blackberry yellow vein associated virus (BYVaV). Molecular and immunological assays have been developed for BYVaV, and examination of symptomatic plants revealed a close association of disease symptoms with the presence of BYVaV, although the virus was also found in asymptomatic plants. Molecular characterization of isolates from plants exhibiting different degrees of disease severity indicated that sequence diversity is probably not the cause of the observed phenotype. At this time, it appears that BYVaV is a consistent component of the disease. |