During a survey for a European Union-funded project on viruses of Alstroemeria, two A. brasiliensis plants were found expressing virus-like symptoms, including leaf chlorosis with deep-green oval spots and flower color breaking. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), no positive reaction was obtained with antisera to Alstroemeria mosaic, Alstroemeria carla, Cucumber mosaic, Freesia mosaic, or Tobacco rattle virus or potyvirus-specific monoclonal antibodies (Agdia, Elkhart, IN). ELISA reactions were positive with antisera to Lily mottle (LMoV) and Rembrandt tulip breaking viruses (1). In electron microscopy preparations of A. brasiliensis, potyvirus-like particles were observed. Using sap-inoculation, the virus was transferred to a range of host species. Chenopodium quinoa, Nicotiana occidentalis accession 37B, and N. occidentalis subsp. obliqua (P1) expressed local lesions; N. clevelandii expressed local and systemic mottle; and N. benthamiana expressed local lesions, systemic vein yellowing, and leaf crinkling. Isolated total RNA from infected N. benthamiana was used for initial cDNA synthesis and polymerase chain reaction amplification with a potyvirus-specific primer set (2). The amplicon (≈670 bp) was cloned and sequenced. The sequence showed 92% homology with the corresponding region of LMoV RNA (GenBank accession no. S44147). The results confirm the infection of A. brasiliensis with LMoV. This is the first report of natural infection of Alstroemeria by LMoV.
References: (1) E. L. Dekker et al. J. Gen. Virol. 74:881, 1993. (2) R. A. A. van der Vlugt et al. Phytopathology 89:148, 1999.
