Summary auto-generated
Researchers constructed a full-length infectious cDNA clone of strawberry mild yellow edge-associated potexvirus (SMYEaV) under control of the CaMV 35S promoter to determine whether this virus causes strawberry mild yellow edge disease. Using particle bombardment and agroinoculation, they successfully infected Fragaria vesca and Rubus rosifolius plants, which developed systemic infections detectable by ELISA and electron microscopy. Mechanical inoculation produced only localized infections in Chenopodium species. Symptoms induced by the infectious clone were indistinguishable from those caused by naturally occurring isolates transmitted via aphids or grafting, establishing SMYEaV as the causal agent of strawberry mild yellow edge disease. Notably, the cloned virus could not be transmitted by the strawberry aphid without a helper virus, suggesting heterologous encapsidation by an associated luteovirus facilitates natural aphid transmission. The authors recommend renaming the pathogen strawberry mild yellow edge potexvirus (SMYEPV). The successful inoculation techniques developed will enable future studies of viral gene function and other strawberry viruses.
Key findings
- An infectious cDNA clone of SMYEaV was successfully constructed and shown to cause strawberry mild yellow edge disease, confirming the virus as the sole causal agent
- Particle bombardment and agroinoculation effectively infected strawberry plants, while mechanical inoculation failed, indicating the virus's unusual transmission properties for a potexvirus
- The cloned virus required a helper mechanism for aphid transmission, suggesting heterologous encapsidation by a luteovirus assists natural vector transmission
- SMYEaV has a genome of 5970 nucleotides with typical potexvirus organization but an unusual AUU initiation codon in ORF2 and persistent aphid transmissibility
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Abstract
A full-length in vivo infectious cDNA clone of strawberry mild yellow edge-associated potexvirus (SMYEaV) was constructed and used to inoculate Fragaria vesca 'Alpine' seedlings and Rubus rosifollus. Both host plants could be infected using particle bombardment or agroinoculation, but not by mechanical inoculation. A method that used potted strawberry plants for particle bombardment resulted in high survival and infection rates. The plants developed systemic infection and virus particles were detected by ELISA and immunoelectron microscopy. Mechanical inoculation of Chenopodium quinoa and C. foetidum with the 35S construct resulted in localized infections. F. vesca 'Alpine' indicator plants produced symptoms that were indistinguishable from control plants inoculated with a naturally occurring isolate of strawberry mild yellow edge by graft or aphid transmission. These results suggest that SMYE potexvirus is the causal agent of strawberry mild yellow edge disease. As this virus is capable of causing the disease, we propose the name strawberry mild yellow edge potexvirus, with the acronym SMYEPV, to replace the name strawberry mild yellow edge-associated potexvirus.