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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #251152

Title: A new Potyvirus sp. infects Verbena exhibiting leaf mottling symptoms

Author
item KRAUS, J - Oregon State University
item CLEVELAND, S - Oregon State University
item TZANETAKIS, I - University Of Arkansas
item Keller, Karen
item PUTNAM, M - Oregon State University
item Martin, Robert

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2010
Publication Date: 9/3/2010
Citation: Kraus, J., Cleveland, S., Tzanetakis, I.E., Keller, K.E., Putnam, M., Martin, R.R. 2010. A new Potyvirus sp. infects Verbena exhibiting leaf mottling symptoms. Plant Disease. 94:1132-1136.

Interpretive Summary: Analysis of verbena plants cultivar 'Taylor Town Red' that exhibited mottling and necrotic symptoms revealed these plants were infected with three viruses. One of these viruses, named Verbena virus Y, is related to Potato virus Y and was transmitted to potato by mechanical transmission along with Coleus vein necrosis virus that coinfected the original verbena plants. The infected potatoes were stunted, but we were unable to separate the two viruses to determine the impact of each virus in single infections. Both viruses also were transmitted, albeit inefficiently, by the green peach aphid. Whether verbena infected with Verbena virus Y can serve as a reservoir for virus transmission to potato is unclear.

Technical Abstract: Verbena cv. 'Taylor Town' plants showed mottling symptoms that turned necrotic as leaves matured, suggesting virus infection. Virus purifications disclosed the presence of elongated and spherical particles, evidence of multiple virus infection whereas double-stranded RNA analysis revealed the presence of several bands, absent in healthy plants. After shotgun cloning, three viruses were identified in 'Taylor Town': Broad bean wilt virus-1, Coleus vein necrosis virus and a novel potyvirus. We characterized and studied the epidemiology of the novel potyvirus, provisionally named Verbena virus Y (VVY). VVY belongs to the Potato virus Y group, has solanaceous plants as alternative hosts and can be transmitted by the green peach aphid.