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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167374
Title: BIOLISTIC INOCULATION OF GLADIOLUS WITH CUCUMBER MOSAIC CUCUMOVIRUS

Author
item AEBIG, JOAN - FORMER ARS EMPLOYEE
item Kamo, Kathryn
item Hsu, Hei Ti

Submitted to: Journal of Virological Methods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/14/2004
Publication Date: 1/5/2005
Citation: Aebig, J.A., Kamo, K., Hsu, H. "Biolistic Inoculation of Gladiolus with Cucumber Mosaic Cucumovirus". 123:89-94.

Interpretive Summary: Gladiolus is an important ornamental crop in the US and worldwide. One of the major pathogens of gladiolus is Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The virus is readily mechanically transmitted to many plant species but with extreme difficulty to gladiolus. Symptoms on leaves of CMV-infected gladiolus are generally inconspicuous, whereas those on flower petals vary from minor streaking to severe color break and deformation. More than 60 species of aphids are able to transmit CMV. Selection for CMV resistance in gladiolus is largely dependant on aphid transmission or natural infection in the field. We have developed a method of inoculation of gladiolus with CMV. The new method of inoculation using the Bio-Rad Helios Gene Gun System circumvents the traditional use of aphids to transmit CMV. The 'Biolistic Procedure' successfully transmitted three CMV isolates, two from serogroup I and one from serogroup II. The method of inoculation will be useful in studies of CMV transmission and disease resistance in gladiolus.

Technical Abstract: A new method of inoculation of gladiolus with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) was developed using the Bio-Rad Helios Gene Gun System. This method circumvents the traditional use of aphids to transmit CMV, a virus that is mechanically transmissible to many plant species but generally only with difficulty to gladiolus. Cartridges containing virus-coated gold microcarriers were prepared and the virus shot into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and gladiolus corms and cormels. The biolistic procedure successfully transmitted three CMV isolates, two from serogroup I and one from serogroup II. Survival rates of two cultivars of gladiolus cormels and corms in sterile and non-sterile environments were compared. Infection rates of 100% were obtained when as little as 2 micrograms of virus was used in cartridge preparation. CMV remained viable after the cartridges were stored for many months at 4C.