The relationship between Pepper mottle virus source leaf and spread of infection through the stem of Capsicum sp

Pepper mottle virus (PepMoV) systemically infects Capsicum sp. in a typical source-to-sink manner with movement through the stem occurring in a predictable pattern. This study was carried out to determine the relationship between the inoculated leaf as a source of inoculum and the spread of PepMoV infection through the stem. C. annuum 'Early Calwonder' plants were mechanically inoculated onto the first leaf with PepMoV and sets of 30 plants had their inoculated leaves removed each day from 1 through 7 days post-inoculation (dpi) with the inoculated leaves tested for infection by ELISA at the time of excision. Beginning at 2 dpi, PepMoV infection in the stem of plants with the inoculated leaf excised and plants of a nonexcision control treatment was determined using immuno-tissue blot analysis. PepMoV was detected in inoculated leaves beginning at 3 dpi with the percentage of infected leaves increasing each day through 7 dpi. PepMoV was first detected in the stem of inoculated plants of the 3 dpi excision treatment. The accumulation and extent of spread of infection in the stem was similar for plants that had their inoculated leaf removed at a time preceding detection by ELISA to plants in the nonexcision control treatment. These findings suggest that once virus is allowed to enter the stem from the inoculated leaf, subsequent spread of infection through the stem is a process independent from the source leaf.