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Melon Rugose Mosaic Virus: Characterization of an Isolate from Sudan and Seed Transmission in Melon

June 1997 , Volume 81 , Number  6
Pages  656 - 660

Hanan A. Mahgoub , Catherine Wipf-Scheibel , and Brigitte Delécolle , INRA, Station de Pathologie Végétale, B.P. 94, 84143 Montfavet Cedex, France ; Michel Pitrat , INRA, Station d'Amélioration des Plantes Maraîchères, B.P. 94, 84143 Montfavet Cedex, France ; Gasim Dafalla , Plant Pathology Centre, University of the Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan ; and Hervé Lecoq , INRA, Station de Pathologie Végétale, B.P. 94, 84143 Montfavet Cedex, France



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Accepted for publication 6 March 1997.
ABSTRACT

Melon rugose mosaic virus (MRMV) was isolated from snake cucumber (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus) in the Kassala region of Sudan in 1993. The host range of the virus was mostly limited to cucurbits, where it induced severe mosaic and leaf deformations. Cytopathological studies revealed severe chloroplast alterations, including vesicles at their periphery and the tendency to aggregate, which are typical of tymovirus infections, providing further evidence that MRMV is a tentative member of the genus Tymovirus. In melon and snake cucumber, MRMV was found to be seed transmitted at rates of 0.9 and 3.8%, respectively. Seed dissection experiments revealed that the virus could be detected in the seed coat, papery layer, and embryo. Seed disinfection treatments did not reduce seed transmission rates, which suggests an internal transmission. A preliminary screening for resistance in melon revealed some resistance in two out of 367 accessions tested.



© 1997 The American Phytopathological Society