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Etiology

Physical, Chemical, and Serological Properties of Cymbidium Mosaic Virus. J. A. Frowd, Postdoctorate Fellow, Agriculture Canada, Research Station, 6660 N. W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1X2, Present address of senior author: Institute for Agricultural Research, Private Mail Bag 1044, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria; J. H. Tremaine, Research Scientist, Agriculture Canada, Research Station, 6660 N. W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1X2. Phytopathology 67:43-49. Accepted for publication 4 August 1976. Copyright © 1977 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-67-43.

Cymbidium mosaic virus (CyMV), which was isolated from Cattleya sp. in British Columbia, was multiplied in Datura stramonium. Purified virus was obtained using a citrate-chloroform extraction procedure and polyethylene glycol precipitation followed by sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. Virus yields averaged 66 mg/kg leaf tissue. Purified virus had a sedimentation coefficient of 121 S and an A_260/280 ratio of 1.11. Molecular weights of protein subunit and RNA determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were 27,640 and 2.5 × 10⁶ daltons, respectively. Amino acid composition data indicated that the protein subunit of CyMV had 257 amino acid residues, with a molecular weight of 27,610. The base percentage composition of viral RNA was G = 21.1, A = 28.9, C = 24.4, U = 25.6. Serological tests showed no relationships between CyMV and potato virus X or white clover mosaic virus.