ARS | Publication request: Investigation of Host Range, Infectivity, and Spread of Turnip Vein Clearing Virus and a Possible Mechanism for Non-Seed Transmission

Submitted to: Southeastern Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 13, 2009
Publication Date: July 1, 2009
Citation: Ghoshroy, K., Kozlin, K.D., Ghoshroy, S., Lartey, R.T., Szoke, K.A., Szoke, K.B. 2009. Investigation of Host Range, Infectivity, and Spread of Turnip Vein Clearing Virus and a Possible Mechanism for Non-Seed Transmission. Southeastern Biology. 56(3): 350.

Technical Abstract: In this study we investigated the host range, transmission and symptom development of TVCV in several species of plants, as a step toward developing management strategy against seed transmissible viruses. While several species of plants failed to show symptoms of TVCV infection, we report that bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, var. provider and var. blue lake), soybean (Glycine max), fava bean (Vicia faba), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus), all served as hosts to the virus. TVCV was able to spread and multiply in these plants, as detected through electron microscopy and PAGE. We describe here the variation of symptoms observed among these newly found putative host plants. We also investigated viral movement patterns in reproductive parts of Arabidopsis thaliana, and found the virus to be located in all parts of the flower except the ovules and the pollen grains. The virus was excluded from entry into the ovule from its stalk and into the pollen from the anther tissue. The virus was also not transmitted into the seed. Subcellular localization of (1>3)-ß-glucan at the junction of ovule stalk and pollen exine indicated that (1>3)-ß-glucan may be involved in blockage of viral movement and thus result in non-seed transmission in A. thaliana. We are currently investigating seed transmission and infectivity in the putative hosts.