Watermelon spotted wilt - a new tospovirus
In Reporting Service 529/06 (1992-11) the detection of a tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (potential EPPO A2 quarantine pest)-like organism had been reported on watermelon in Taiwan and named as TSWV-W. Recent research results, presented at the 6th International Congress of Plant Pathology in Montreal, however, strongly indicate that the virus is distinct from tomato spotted wilt tospovirus. Nucleotide sequencing of the nucleocapsid (N) protein of the new virus and its comparison with the sequences from TSWV-L and I serotypes showed only slight similarities. The low similarity of the N gene with those of the L- and I-serotypes at both nucleotide and aminoacid levels coupled with the negative hybridization relationship with them strongly indicated that TSWV-W, renamed as watermelon spotted wilt tospovirus is a distinct member of the Tospovirus genus.
Sources
Yeh, S.-D.; Chang, T.-F. (1993) Nucleotide sequence of the N gene of watermelon spotted wilt virus, a distinct tospovirus.
Presentation at the 6th International Congress of Plant Pathology, Montreal, CA, 1993-07/08-27/06.