Since 1988, a yellowing disease of melon, cucumber and zucchini squash has been frequently observed in summer and autumn crops in France. Infected plants show yellowing and thickening of the older leaves; symptom intensity differs depending upon cultivar and season, and can be easily overlooked when plants are already infected by mosaic‐inducing viruses or other pathogens. The disease is associated with the presence of a virus with spherical particles c. 25 nm in diameter, which is readily transmitted in a persistent manner by the aphids Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii, but not mechanically. Serological analysis, nucleic‐acid‐hybridization experiments and host‐range studies indicate that the virus is distantly related to, but distinct from, beet western yellows virus (BWYV). We propose to name this virus cucurbit aphid‐borne yellows virus (CABYV), and to consider it as a tentative new member of the luteovirus group. CABYV was found to reduce significantly the yields of melon and cucumber by decreasing the number of fruit per plant but not by altering the fruit shape or quality. Preliminary investigations of the epidemiology of CABYV indicate that the virus is common in weeds and in cultivated cucurbits. CABYV was frequently detected in various regions of France, suggesting that it is one of the most prevalent viruses infecting cucurbits in this country.
A prerequisite to studying the specific interactions involved in the persistent transmission of luteoviruses such as the potato leafroll virus (PLRV) is the characterization of both the virus and its vectors. A range of techniques was used to assess genetic differentiation among 27 clones belonging to the Myzus persicae complex (M. persicae (Sulzer), M. antirrhinii (Macchiati) and M. nicotianae Blackman) and showing different efficiencies in transmitting PLRV isolates. All M. persicae/M. nicotianae clones belonged to one of two karyotypes, both 2n = 12, either normal or carrying an autosomal translocation (A1,3), and all M. antirrhinii clones had 13 or 14 chromosomes. Amplified esterase 4 genes were detected by PCR-REN assay in M. persicae/M. nicotianae taxa, with gene expression being modified by methylation. Similarly, amplified E4 genes were revealed in M. antirrhinii but they all showed unmethylated. Two allozyme and 11 microsatellite loci discriminated 10 different genotypic classes among the 27 clones. Analysis of genetic relatedness between these genotypic classes revealed that M. nicotianae clones were very closely related to M. persicae clones, whereas the genetic differentiation between M. antirrhinii and M. persicae was greater. The implications of these results for the taxonomic status of these genotypes within the complex, and the transmission of PLRV, are discussed.
The cucurbit aphid–borne yellows virus (CABYV) is a new tentative member of the luteovirus group which is transmitted persistently by Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii.
In muskmelon plants, mixed infection with CABYV and zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) induced an increase in CABYV concentration estimated by double antibody sandwich–enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS–ELISA), which was maximum after 3 weeks, of co–infection.
Assays, conducted with other cucurbit hosts and sap–transmissible viruses showed that a similar increase occurred with most of the potyviruses tested. However, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and squash mosaic virus (SqMV) were inefficient for less efficient than potyviruses) in increasing CABYV concentration.
Aphid transmission experiments were conducted to check whether increased virus multiplication could either enhance transmission rates or modify the mode of CABYV acquisition by aphids. However, when A. gossypii was used, no increases in CABYV, transmissibility nor in its acquisition mode were detected.
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