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Disease Control and Pest Management

An Agent Associated With Bee-Stored Pollen That Degrades Intact Viruses. Anabel Cole, Research associate, Washington State University, Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Prosser 99350; G. I. Mink, plant pathologist, Washington State University, Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Prosser 99350. Phytopathology 74:1320-1324. Accepted for publication 7 June 1984. Copyright 1984 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-74-1320.

An agent that degraded surface-borne virions of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (NRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) into serologically undetectable units was detected on and extracted from pollen taken from many honeybee hives. This agent was not found on hand-collected pollen. Leachates of bee-stored pollen degraded purified viruses and were most active when incubated at pH 5.5 and temperatures between 42 and 50 C. Activity decreased markedly as the assay pH approached neutrality and was not detected at temperatures <25 C. Degradative activity of pollen leachates was eliminated by boiling 5 min., overnight dialysis against distilled water, or addition of glucose. However, addition of fructose or sucrose stimulated virus degradation in the presence of pollen leachates. Addition of bovine serum albumin as a possible substrate competitor had no effect on virus degradation.