New Disease Reports (2003) 7, 23.

First report of Carnation necrotic fleck virus (CNFV) infecting carnations in India

G. Raikhy, V. Hallan, S. Kulshrestha, M.L. Sharma, Raja Ram and A.A. Zaidi*

*zaidi_aijaz@yahoo.com

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Accepted: 13 May 2003

In a survey of carnations grown in the Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh, India, seventeen out of the thirty five varieties inspected showed mottling with grey streaks or red necrotic flecks. These symptoms were similar to those previously reported for Carnation necrotic fleck virus (CNFV) (Bar-Joseph et al., 1979). Sap from symptomatic leaves was inoculated on to Dianthus caryophyllus, D. chinensis and D. barbatus. Symptoms produced on these Dianthus spp indicators included mottling, vein clearing, flecking, gray streaks or red necrotic flecks. No symptoms were observed when Chenopodium spp were inoculated. Using a polyclonal DAS-ELISA kit (Agdia, USA), CNFV was detected in Dianthus indicator plants and the carnation varieties: Arthur Sim, Cabarett, Charmour, Dessio, Dusty Pink, Espana, Flair, Irma, Josh, LasPama, New Espana, Orange Triumph, Prinidello, Red Carso, Scania, Shocking Pink and White Candy. The virus was transmitted in a semi-persistent manner by aphid species Myzus persicae, Aphis craccivora and Aphis gossypii from D. caryophyllus to D. barbatus, with infection confirmed by DAS-ELISA. When examined by transmission electron microscopy, leaf dip preparations showed flexuous virus particles 1400 to 1500nm long. RT-PCR was conducted using degenerate primers specific to the closterovirus group (Karasev et al., 1994) and an amplicon of the expected size (~1000bp) was generated (Fig. 1). All these tests identified the virus as CNFV. CNFV has been reported from many countries, including the USA, France, Italy and Yugoslavia. This is the first report of CNFV infecting carnations in India.
Figure1+
Figure 1: (Left). Analysis of RT-PCR amplified product generated using degenerate closterovirus primers from suspected CNFV-infected material, using agarose gel electrophoresis. Left-hand lane, 500bp ladder; Right-hand Lane, estimated 1000bp RT-PCR product.
Figure 1: (Left). Analysis of RT-PCR amplified product generated using degenerate closterovirus primers from suspected CNFV-infected material, using agarose gel electrophoresis. Left-hand lane, 500bp ladder; Right-hand Lane, estimated 1000bp RT-PCR product.

References

  1. Bar-Joseph M, Garnsey, SM, Gonsalves D, 1979. The closteroviruses: a distinct group of elongated plant viruses. Advances in Virus Research 25, 93-168.
  2. Karasev AV, Nikolaeva, OV, Koonin EV, Gumpf DJ, Garnsey, SM, 1994. Screening of the closterovirus genome by degenerate primer-mediated polymerase chain reaction. Journal of General Virology 75, 1415-1422.

This report was formally published in Plant Pathology

©2003 The Authors