VIEW ARTICLE

Etiology

Detection and Characterization of Peru Tomato Virus Strains Infecting Pepper and Tomato in Peru. E. N. Fernandez-Northcote, Professor, Universidad Nacional Agraria, La Molina, Aptdo. 456, Lima, Peru and University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53706 USA; R. W. Fulton, Professor, Universidad Nacional Agraria, La Molina, Aptdo. 456, Lima, Peru and University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53706 USA. Phytopathology 70:315-320. Accepted for publication 1 November 1979. Copyright 1980 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-70-315.

Virus isolates from pepper (Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum) and tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) in coastal areas of Peru were identified as Peru tomato virus (PTV). Except for four Chenopodium spp., which developed local lesions, their host range was confined to the Solanaceae. PTV was not seed transmitted in tomato or pepper. The infectivity of crude sap withstood in vitro aging 10–21 days, had a thermal inactivation point between 55 and 60 C, and a dilution end point between 10^–5 and 10^–6. Highly purified preparations of the most severe strain (isolate M4 from pepper) used as antigen produced antiserum with a titer of 1:16,384. A distant serological relationship was detected between PTV and potato virus Y, tobacco etch, and pepper mottle viruses, but not between PTV and pepper veinal mottle or pepper severe mosaic viruses. Normal length of particles of the four strains of PTV was 741–746 nm. PTV was confirmed as a new potyvirus based on host range and serological properties.