VIEW ARTICLE

Etiology

Horseradish Latent Virus, a New Member of the Caulimovirus Group. R. D. Richins, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506; R. J. Shepherd, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506. Phytopathology 76:749-754. Accepted for publication 26 February 1986. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1986. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-76-749.

A virus isolated from horseradish in Europe had properties similar to those of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV). It reacted weakly with CaMV antiserum, however, and in further reciprocal tests with antiserum to both viruses, it was found serologically distinct from CaMV. The horseradish virus had a DNA genome with the same conformational forms of CaMV DNA during agarose gel electrophoresis. However, it was found to have site-specific discontinuities at different locations from those of CaMV DNA when the polarity of the genome was determined by polynucleotide kinase labeling of the 5'-termini of the DNA. In addition, the restriction endonuclease map of horseradish latent virus DNA is completely different from that of any reported strain of CaMV. These differences indicate the horseradish virus is a new member of the caulimovirus group. We propose the name 'horseradish latent virus ' for this new member of the group.