VIEW ARTICLE

Improved Purification Procedure for Peanut Stunt Virus, Incitant of Tephrosia Yellow Vein Disease. H. E. Waterworth, Plant Pathologist, New Crops Research Branch, Plant Science Research Division, USDA, U.S. Plant Introduction Station, Glenn Dale, Maryland 20769; R. L. Monroe(2), and R. P. Kahn(3). (2)Research Technician, New Crops Research Branch, Plant Science Research Division, USDA, U.S. Plant Introduction Station, Glenn Dale, Maryland 20769; (3)Plant Pathologist, Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Program, USDA, U.S. Plant Introduction Station, Glenn Dale, Maryland 20769. Phytopathology 63:93-98. Accepted for publication 20 July 1972. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-63-93.

Peanut stunt virus (PSV-T) was isolated from Tephrosia vogelii Hook, f., a legume species being studied because the leaves produce the insecticide rotenone. Leaflets on 5 to 30% of the compound leaves on 20% of the plants exhibited a bright chlorosis along the veins, epinasty, and leaflet distortion, but plants were not stunted. The virus infected most herbaceous species inoculated. The green peach aphid Myzus persicae transmitted PSV-T in greenhouse experiments. Thermal inactivation point was between 55 and 58 C, dilution end point 5 × 10^–3 to 1 × 10^–4, and longevity in vitro at 24 C was 1 to 2 days. The virus was purified from Vigna, Lycopersicon, Nicotiana, Tephrosia, Capsicum, Datura metel, and D. stramonium plants in experiments designed to compare yields of virus. Yields ranged from 8 to 9 mg virus/10 g of D. stramonium leaf tissue in eight trials when sap was clarified with Mg-treated bentonite as compared with 0.05 to 0.15 mg/10 g of tissue using the traditional procedure of clarifying cowpea tissue with chloroform-butanol. The virus was serologically identical to the Eastern strain of peanut stunt virus in agar gel tests. Purified virus reacted with antisera to cucumber mosaic, chrysanthemum aspermy, and the Western strain of peanut stunt virus. Antiserum has been deposited with the American Type Culture Collection No. 62.