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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » National Germplasm Resources Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307940

Title: First report of natural occurrence of Turnip vein-clearing virus in garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in the United States

Author
item LOCKHART, BEN - University Of Minnesota
item Mollov, Dimitre
item MASON, SHAUNA - University Of Minnesota
item BRATSCH, SARA - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Plant Health Progress
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/18/2014
Publication Date: 10/14/2014
Citation: Lockhart, B., Mollov, D.S., Mason, S., Bratsch, S. 2014. First report of natural occurrence of Turnip vein-clearing virus in garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in the United States. Plant Health Progress. doi:10.1094/PHP-BR-14-0029.

Interpretive Summary: Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an invasive species in the U.S. that has been displacing many native plants the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. Garlic mustard plants with yellow and necrotic leaves and stunted growth were observed in three separate natural habitats in Minnesota. Laboratory analyses revealed that the symptomatic plants were infected with Turnip vein clearing virus (TVCV). In this report we described the TVCV strain and provided diagnostic protocols for the detection and identification of the virus. Also the role of TVCV as the causal agent of a disease on garlic mustard was determined. This research represents the first report of TVCV infection of garlic mustard. These findings may benefit natural resource, environmental, and weed science groups. TVCV could be assessed as a potential biocontrol agent against the invasive garlic mustard.

Technical Abstract: During 2011-2013 plants of the invasive weed species Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) were observed with virus-like disease symptoms in three separate locations in Ramsey and Anoka counties, Minnesota. Symptoms consisted of conspicuous mosaic, leaf deformation and stunting. Numerous virus-like particles 300x18 nm in size, resembling those of tobamoviruses were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in negatively- stained partially-purified leaf tissue extracts from diseased plants. No other virus-like particles were observed in these partially-purified extracts, or in similar preparations from asymptomatic plants collected in the same locations. Foliar symptoms in garlic mustard infected with the tobamo-like virus were similar to those caused by Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) occurring in Minnesota, but in the second year of growth these plants were generally less stunted than those infected with TuMV. The objective of the study was to establish the identity of the tobamo-like virus occurring naturally in garlic mustard in Minnesota, and to determine its role in the etiology of the disease.