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Title: Molecular evidence for lack of seed transmission of Pea enation mosaic virus in Pisum sativum

Author
item Larsen, Richard
item TIMMERMAN-VAUGHN, G - NEW ZEALAND INST. CROP &
item MURRAY, S - NEW ZEALAND INST. CROP &

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/5/2007
Publication Date: 8/1/2007
Citation: R. Larsen, G. Timmerman-Vaughan and S. Murray. 2007. Molecular evidence that Pea enation mosaic virus is seed borne but not seed transmitted in Pisum sativum. Phytopathology 97:S62.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) has never been definitively demonstrated to be seed transmitted and as such, has been a point of issue in movement of pea seed to other countries such as Australia and New Zealand. To determine whether the virus is seed-borne and the likelihood that it may be seed transmitted, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used on seeds collected from infected plants to assess the relative concentrations of the two viral genomes PEMV-1 and PEMV-2 responsible for the disease. Results from qRT-PCR showed that PEMV-1 accumulation was ca. 1240 times higher in leaf than in embryo tissues and PEMV-2 accumulated ca. 13,000 times more in leaf than in embryo tissue. Using a derived mean normalized expression against 18S rRNA sequences, levels of PEMV-1 and PEMV-2 sequences were significantly higher in pod wall and seed coat tissue than in cotyledons or radicula, indicating that both viral genomes are seed-borne. Seed transmission was also examined on grow-outs of 286 seeds from infected pods of cultivar ‘Joel.’ No virus symptoms were observed on any of the test plants nor was PEMV detected by ELISA. The lack of seed transmission may be a result of the low abundance of PEMV viral genomes in embryo tissue.