Plum pox potyvirus detected in sour cherry from Moldova
In 1987, ringspot symptoms were observed on leaves and fruits of sour cherry, Prunus cerasus cv. Kistevaya, grown in an orchard at the Horticultural Research Institute, Kishinev, Moldova. Filamentous virus-like particles, 700-800ÿnm in length, were observed in leaf dips of infected tissue. Ultra thin sectioning of infected tissue revealed cylindrical inclusion bodies typical of the potyvirus group. Immunosorbent electron microscopy (ISEM) assays, using an antiserum to Van Oosten's isolate plum pox potyvirus, detected highly decorated virus particles from infected tissue. These results suggested that the virus from sour cherry trees is plum pox potyvirus (EPPO A2 quarantine pest). This was the first report of this disease on sour cherry.
Further studies have been carried out using RT-PCR and molecular hybridization tests on samples of leaf, root, and flower collected on several sour cherry cultivars from Moldova which had previously given positive results for PPV by ELISA and ISEM. The results confirmed that the potyvirus found in sour cherry trees is PPV and that the virus is systemically distributed in the plants.
Sources
Kalashyan, Yu.A.; Bilkey, N.D.; Verderevskaya, T.D.; Rubina E.V. (1993) Detection of plum pox virus in sour cherry from Moldova.
Paper presented at the EPPO Conference on Plum Pox (Bordeaux, FR, 1993-10-05/08).
Nemchinov, L.; Hadidi, A.; Verderevskaya, T.D. (1994) Distribution of plum pox virus in infected sour cherry trees as revealed by RT-PCR assays for the genomic 3' non-coding region.
Paper presented at the XVI International Symposium on Viruses and Virus diseases of Temperate Fruit Crops, 1994-06-27/07-03, Rome (IT)