A Varied Population of Cucumber Mosaic-Virus From Peppers

A varied population of Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) isolates is reported from peppers (Capsicum annuum) in Australia. Isolates representing both CMV subgroups (serogroups) I and II have been obtained from the same field at the same sampling time. The CMV isolates were typed into subgroup I (eight isolates) and subgroup II (two isolates) using both a nucleic acid hybridization assay and an immunological assay with monoclonal antibodies. The immunological assay described allows the typing of strains in crude sap extracts, obviating the need for purified virions. The spatial and temporal coincidence of both CMV subgroups presents a situation in which pseudorecombinants with reassorted genomic components might arise