Infection of Protoplasts from Chenopodium Quinoa with Cowpea Mosaic and Cymbidium Ringspot Viruses

Mesophyll protoplasts were prepared from Chenopodium quinoa plants and infected with cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) or cymbidium ringspot virus (CyRSV) using inocula containing either polyethylene glycol or poly-L-ornithine. The level of infection was estimated by fluorescent antibody staining and by spot hybridization assay. About 25% of the protoplasts became infected with CPMV and about 35% with CyRSV. Yields of progeny RNA were about 700 ng of CPMV RNA and 3 µg of CyRSV RNA per 10⁶ protoplasts. Cytopathic structures found in C. quinoa protoplasts inoculated with CPMV or CyRSV were similar to the structures found in CPMV-infected cowpea protoplasts or in CyRSV-infected C. quinoa plants respectively.