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Title: New Taastrup-Like virus, Rhabdoviridae, lethal to leafhoppers

Author
item Hunter, Wayne
item Adkins, Scott

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/14/2009
Publication Date: 1/9/2010
Citation: Hunter, W.B., Adkins, S.T. 2010. New Taastrup-Like virus, Rhabdoviridae, lethal to leafhoppers [abstract]. Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference, January 9-13, 2010, San Diego, California. p. 18.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A new viral pathogen (‘Taastrup Virus’) of leafhoppers was discovered. The unclassified virus is a negative sense, single-stranded RNA virus which appears to be a new member of the order Mononegavirales in the family Rhabdoviridae, and thus far it is only the second report of a Taastrup-like virus member identified world-wide. The virus was isolated from an ornamental plant, and when applied to leafhopper cell cultures it caused rapid and severe cell death. Due to the severe lethal nature of this virus to leafhoppers, efforts are underway to propagate and screen the virus as a potential biological control agent for use against leafhoppers including the glassy-winged Sharpshooter and other leafhoppers which spread Pierce’s disease of grapes and other bacterial and viral plant diseases.