LOCALIZATION OF COAT PROTEIN AND NUCLEIC ACID OF PLUM POX VIRUS IN PRUNUS PETIOLE AND STEM TISSUES

Localization of Plum pox virus (PPV) in stem and petiole tissues of several Prunus species, including apricot, peach, prune, plum, almond, and cherry was studied.
In addition, symptom severity and the optical density by ELISA-DASI were determined on leaves.
Consecutive 2-mm spaced transverse sections were taken from stem and petiole and were printed onto nitrocellulose (for coat protein detection) and nylon (for RNA detection) membranes.
Nylon membranes were reveled by chemiluminescent and colorimetric detection.
Distribution of PPV (coat protein and RNA) was very irregular in stem and petiole tissues in apricot, peach, prune and plum, showing PPV symptoms and being ELISA positive.
PPV was not localized in the asymptomatic plants (cherry and almond) with negative ELISA reaction.
A high correlation was observed between coat protein and RNA localization in the stem and petiole tissues.
Despite the high sensitivity of the chemiluminescent procedure, the colorigenic substract allowed the clearly detection of PPV in infected stem and petiole tissues.
In the stem, PPV (coat protein and RNA) was mainly localized in vascular tissues and sometimes in cortex, pith and epidermis.
In the petiole, it was localized in the epidermis and in cortical and medullae parenchyma.
The irregular distribution of the virus, as regards both coat protein and RNA, has negative implications for PPV resistance evaluation, since it renders virus detection.

XIX International Symposium on Virus and Virus-like Diseases of Temperate Fruit Crops – Fruit Tree Diseases

M. Rubio, B. Gosálvez, J.A. Hernández, F. Dicenta, P. Martínez-Gómez, J.A. Sánchez-Navarro, V. Pallás

Prunus, Plum pox virus, virus, immuno-tissue printing

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.657.45