Department of Virology, S.V. University, Tirupati-517502.
Abstracts of Research Papers Presented during the National Symposium of Indian Virological Society at Unit of Plant Virology, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, October 14–1.
A potyvirus causing severe mosaic disease on commercially growing gherkin (Cucumis anguria L.) around Kuppam, Chittoor district, A.P. state was identified during survey in 2003. The infected plants showed mosaic, dark green blisters on leaves and irregular shaped blisters on malformed fruits. The infected leaves and fruits were collected from commercial fields and maintained on pumpkin for further studies. The virus was readily transmitted by mechanical sap inoculation. The host range of the virus was mainly confined to the members of family Cucurbitaceae and Chenopodium sp. The virus produced severe systemic symptoms on Cucurbita pepo L., C. moschata Duch., Cucumis sativus, C. melo, Lageneria vulgaris Ser., Momordica charantia L. and chlorotic local lesions on Chenopodium amaranticolor. Electron microscopy of leaf dip preparations from infected leaves revealed long flexuous filamentous virus particles measuring 750x12nm. The virus showed positive serological relationship with Potato virus Y, Papaya ringspot virus-W, Zucchini yellow mosaic virus and Tobacco etch virus but not with Datura potyvirus, and Bean common mosaic virus in DAC-ELISA using poly clonal antisera. On the basis of symptomatology, host range, serological relationship and particle morphology, the causal virus was identified as a member of potyvirus group. However, the exact taxonomic identity of the virus requires its molecular characterization which is under progress.
