Authors
C. Córdoba-Sellés,
C. Cebrián-Mico, and
A. Alfaro-Fernández, Grupo de Virología-Instituto Agroforestal del Mediterráneo (IAM), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Camino de Vera s/n, CP: 46022, Valencia, Spain;
M. J. Muñoz-Yerbes, Sanidad Vegetal de Valencia, Spain; and
C. Jordá-Gutiérrez, IAM-UPV
Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV; family Bunyaviridae, genus Tospovirus) has a wide host range, with onion (Allium cepa L.) being one of the most economically important hosts. The first report of IYSV in Spain was from Albacete in 2003 (1) followed by the Canary Islands in 2005. In November of 2006, disease symptoms suspected to be caused by IYSV were observed on the central and outer leaves of commercial leeks plants (cvs. Asthow, Edison, and Shelton) from Alicante, Spain. Symptoms consisted of dry, white-to-straw-colored, spindle-shaped, irregular chlorotic and necrotic lesions on the leaves. Tissue from symptomatic leaves was sampled and analyzed by a double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA with specific polyclonal antibodies against Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV), Leek yellow stripe virus (LYSV) (Biorad Phyto-Diagnostics, Marnes-La Coquette, France), IYSV, and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (Loewe Biochemica, Sauerlach, Germany). Five of seven leek samples belonging to the three cultivars tested were positive for IYSV. All samples were negative for the other viruses tested. The presence of IYSV was verified in the positive samples by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using primers derived from the nucleocapsid (N) gene of IYSV (1). RT-PCR gave a PCR amplicon of expected size (approximately 790 bp) from symptomatic leek plants. The product of one of the positive leek samples was purified and sequenced (GenBank Accession No. EF427447). Nucleotide sequence analysis confirmed the identity of the amplicon as that of the IYSV N gene. Sequence comparisons showed 99% identity with the sequence of the IYSV Spanish isolate available in GenBank (Accession No. EF419888). Thrips tabaci is the primary vector of IYSV. Although the vector is present in Spain, the efficiency of the Mediterranean ecotype in transmitting the virus is not known. Leek has been reported to be a host of IYSV in countries such as the Netherlands, Reunion Island, Australia, and the United States (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of natural infection of leek with IYSV in Spain.
References: (1) C. Córdoba-Sellés et al. Plant Dis. 89:1243, 2005. (2) H. F. Schwartz et al. Plant Dis. 91:113, 2007.
