First Report of a Tospovirus on Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) from India

Virus-like symptoms were observed on sunflower in and around Tirupati during January 1998. Infected plants exhibited severe mosaic, systemic necrosis along the stem and floral heads, leaf distortion, and ringspots on leaves. The causal virus, mechanically transmissible from sunflower to sunflower cvs. Morden, MHSF8, MHSF18, KBHS1, and Cargil, developed symptoms like those in the original plant. The virus caused chlorotic and necrotic spots on Chenopodium amaranticolor, chlorotic and necrotic rings on cowpea cv. C-152, chlorotic spots on Datura metal and Petunia hybrida, chlorotic rings and systemic infection on Gomphrena globosa, tarlike symptoms on Catharanthus roseus, and local brown lesions on Cassia tora (1). Virus was isolated from infected sunflower leaves (2), and particles in negatively stained preparations were enveloped and 80 to 90 nm in diameter. Cytopathic effects included accumulation of virus particles in the endoplasmic reticulum, the formation of viroplasm, and aggregates consisting of nonenveloped viral nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm of ultrathin sections of infected sunflower leaves. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of capsid protein resolved as a single band of 31 kD. The dsRNA isolated from infected sunflower leaves resolved as three bands of 9, 4.9, and 3 kb in 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the purified virus reacted with homologous and Peanut bud necrosis virus (PBNV-ICRISAT, India) antisera and not to polyclonal antibodies to Iris yellow spot virus (Netherlands), Tomato spotted wilt virus-T (Georgia), Impatiens necrotic spot virus, and several isolates of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV-B, CMV-C, CMV-To). In western blotting analysis, the virus coat protein reacted with homologous and PBNV antisera corresponding to coat protein band of 31 kD. In reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, the viral RNA was amplified by using primers derived from NP gene sequence of PBNV and Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMV). Based on these properties, the virus causing sunflower mosaic followed by necrosis in India was identified as a tospovirus, which may be as a distinct isolate of sero group IV. References: (1) A. A. Brunt et al. Viruses of Plants Online. 1996. Australian National University, Canberra, 1996. (2) D. V. R. Reddy et al. Bud necrosis virus: A disease of peanut caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus. ICRISAT Inf. Bull. No. 31, 1991.