Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder closterovirus: new Bemisia tabaci-transmitted virus in Spain
On the south-eastern coast of Spain, melon (Cucumis melo) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) grown under plastic greenhouses have been seriously affected by a yellowing disease since 1982. This disease has also been observed in the Middle East: Jordan, Israel, United Arab Emirates and Turkey (Duffus, 1996) where it has reached epidemic levels since 1985. The causal agent of this disease has been identified, characterized and called cucurbit yellow stunting disorder closterovirus (CYSDV). The authors have shown that it was transmitted by Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) B and non-B biotypes, but not by Trialeurodes vaporariorum. The virus can be retained at least for 7 days by the vector. The experimental host range appears to be restricted to Cucurbitaceae. Comparative studies have also been made between CYSDV and lettuce infectious yellows closterovirus (EPPO A1 quarantine pest) from USA, and showed that these two viruses are related but distinct. The authors concluded that CYSDV could be a member of a newly recognized subgroup of closteroviruses with bipartite genomes of which lettuce infectious yellows closterovirus is the type member, and that further studies are necessary to identify the various whitefly-transmitted closteroviruses that cause yellowing diseases in vegetable crops and which have been reported from many parts of the world.
Sources
Célix, A.; López-Sesé, A.; Almarza, N.; Gómez-Guillamón, M.L.; Rodríguez-Cerezo, E. (1996) ;Characterization of cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus, a Bemisia tabaci-transmitted closterovirus.
Phytopathology, 86(12), 1370-1376.
Duffus, J.E. (1996) Whitefly-borne viruses. In: Bemisia: 1995 Taxonomy, Biology, Damage, Control and Management (Ed by Gerling, D. ; Mayer, R.T.), pp 255-263, Intercept limited, Andover, Hants, UK.