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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #183481
Title: EVIDENCE FOR MIXED INFECTIONS BY TWO OR MORE VIRUSES CAUSING SEVERE SYMPTOMS AND DECLINE OF BLACKBERRIES

Author
item SUSAIMUTHU, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item TZANETAKIS, I - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item GERGERICH, R - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Martin, Robert

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2005
Publication Date: 6/5/2005
Citation: Susaimuthu, J., Tzanetakis, I.E., Gergerich, R.C., Martin, R.R. 2005. Evidence for mixed infections by two or more viruses causing severe symptoms and decline of blackberries. Phytopathology. 95:S101.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Virus-like symptoms of vein yellowing and decline in ‘Chickasaw’ blackberry were investigated. Based on nucleotide sequence analysis, a new crinivirus named Blackberry yellow vein associated virus (BYVaV) was identified. BYVaV primers amplified a ~500bp viral RNA from symptomatic and, surprisingly, non-symptomatic ‘Chickasaw’ and other cultivars. Testing of additional plants revealed that BYVaV is latent in ‘Chickasaw’ blackberry, which suggested that a mixed infection of two or more viruses might explain the symptoms in field-grown plants. Electron microscopy revealed potyvirus-specific inclusions in symptomatic blackberry plants, and sequence analysis suggested the presence of a novel potyvirus, which has been named Blackberry virus Y (BVY). Non-symptomatic, BYVaV infected ‘Chickasaw’ plants were placed in a production field that contained symptomatic ‘Chickasaw’ blackberry for two-week periods spanning the growing season. Ten of these 150 sentinel plants exhibited yellow vein and decline symptoms. Both BYVaV and BVY primers amplified specific PCR products from these plants. Studies to determine the source and means of transmission of these viruses are underway. BVY was not always detected in symptomatic plants of some cultivars, and the discovery of two additional unknown viruses in these plants suggests that other viruses may be involved in the etiology of this disease.