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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #166276

Title: FIRST REPORT OF TOMATO CHLOROSIS VIRUS IN ISRAEL

Author
item SEGEV, L - VOLCANI INST.,ISRAEL
item Wintermantel, William - Bill
item POLSTON, J - UNIV.FL.,GAINESVILLE
item LAPIDOT, MOSHE - VOLCANI INST.,ISRAEL

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/7/2004
Publication Date: 10/1/2004
Citation: Segev, L., Wintermantel, W.M., Polston, J.E., Lapidot, M. First report of tomato chlorosis virus in Israel. Plant Disease. 2004. v. 88. p. 1160.

Interpretive Summary: In December 2003, unusual symptoms were observed in greenhouse tomato plants in Bet Dagan, Israel, which resembled those of Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), a crinivirus common in the southeastern United States and Southern Europe. Middle-aged leaves showed interveinal chlorosis while more mature leaves showed more intense interveinal chlorosis with some interveinal bronzing. Symptoms were associated with the presence of the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, an efficient vector of ToCV. Total nucleic acids were extracted from middle-aged and mature leaves from two symptomatic plants, as well as from healthy tomato, Physalis wrightii infected with ToCV, and Nicotiana benthamiana infected with Tomato infectious chlorosis virus (TICV), another Crinivirus that produces identical symptoms on tomato. Extracts were tested by nucleic acid hybridization with probes specific to the coat protein gene of ToCV and to the HSP70h gene of TICV. This molecular diagnostic test confirmed that symptoms on tomato were produced by ToCV, but not TICV. Extracts were also subjected to a second molecular diagnostic test, RT-PCR, using primers specific to the minor coat protein gene to ToCV. RT-PCR analysis confirmed the presence of ToCV in symptomatic tomatoes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ToCV in Israel. Interestingly, symptoms of ToCV were not obvious in tomato plants infected with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), but were readily observed in TYLCV-resistant cultivars that do not express symptoms of TYLCV.

Technical Abstract: In December 2003, unusual symptoms were observed in greenhouse tomato plants in Bet Dagan, Israel, which resembled those of Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), a crinivirus common in the southeastern United States and Southern Europe. Middle-aged leaves showed interveinal chlorosis while more mature leaves showed more intense interveinal chlorosis with some interveinal bronzing. Symptoms were associated with the presence of Bemisia tabaci, an efficient vector of ToCV. Total nucleic acids were extracted from middle-aged and mature leaves from two symptomatic plants, as well as from healthy tomato, Physalis wrightii infected with ToCV, and Nicotiana benthamiana infected with Tomato infectious chlorosis virus (TICV), another Crinivirus that produces identical symptoms on tomato. Extracts were tested by hybridization with probes specific to the coat protein gene of ToCV and to the HSP70h gene of TICV. Hybridization results identified the presence of ToCV in all samples from symptomatic tomato plants and ToCV-infected P. wrightii, but not in those from healthy tomato or TICV-infected N. benthamiana. TICV was only detected in TICV-infected N. benthamiana. Extracts were also subjected to RT-PCR using primers specific to the minor coat protein gene of ToCV. All samples from symptomatic tomato and ToCV-infected P. wrightii produced bands of the expected size, but no bands were produced from extracts of healthy tomato. Laboratory results and observed symptoms confirm the presence of ToCV in symptomatic tomatoes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ToCV in Israel. Interestingly, symptoms of ToCV were not obvious in tomato plants infected with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), but were readily observed in TYLCV-resistant cultivars that do not express symptoms of TYLCV.