De Wijs, Jean-Jacques

Horizon / Pleins textes

Neth. J. Pl. Path. 79(1973) 189-193 
Pepper veinal mottle virus in Ivory Coast 
J. DE WIJS.7 
Office de la recherche scientifique et technique outre mer, ORSTOM, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire 
t 
Accepted 2 April 1973 
Abstract 
A mosaic and stunt disease of chilli pepper (Capsicum fiutescens) in Ivory Coast was found to be 
caused by pepper veinal mottle virus, a member of the potato virus Y group, recently described from 
chilli pepper in Ghana. The Ivory Coast isolate was first transmitted by aphids to Physalisfloridana 
and subsequently maintained by mechanical inoculation in P. floridaria and Nicotiana niegalos&lion. 
The host range includes mainly Solanaceae, but Solaiium species were not or very little susceptible. 
Aplzisgossypii, A. spiruecola and Toxoptera citricidus transmitted the virus in a non-persistent manner. 
No dodder transmission was found. Serological relationship with onion yellow dwarf virus and 
Columbian Datura virus was established. 
Introduction 
The study of a mosaic and stunt disease of chilli pepper (CapscunzJilutesceizs) in Ivory 
Coast was undertaken in 1968, at which time little was known on virus diseases in 
peppers in Africa. Leather (1959) had mentioned a widespread virus disease of chilli 
peppers in Ghana. More recently Hollings and Bock (1970) reported a virus disease of 
peppers in Kenya, and pepper veinal mottle virus was described from Ghana by Brunt 
and Kenten (1971 and 1972). 
The virus isolated in Ivory Coast turned out to be identical to pepper veinal mottle 
virus (PVMV). In 'the later part of my research I have compared the Ivory Coast 
isolate (PVMV-CI) with the Ghana isolate (PVMV-Gh). Results of this comparison 
and some additional information on the virus are now given. 
Materials and methods 
Growth conditions. All test plants were grown in screenhouses where temperatures 
varied from 28-35 9C during the day. Relative humidity was always 90-100 %. The 
reaction of a few Chenopodium species was also tested in the greenhouses at 
Wageningen (the Netherlands) at temperatures ranging from 20-24 OC. 
,Tsolation arid maiutenance of the virus. PVMV-CI was transmitted first by aphids 
from a diseased pepper plant (C. frutescens) found in the field, to PhysalisJioridana 
since mechanical transmission failed. The virus was subsequently maintained in P. 
Jloridana and Nicotiana megalosiphon. 
Inoculations. Inocula were prepared by grinding infected leaves in 0.05 M potassium 
Bioassay. P. Jloridana, a systemic host, was used for bioassay since local lesion hosts 
found were not suitable under tropical conditions. 
Serology. The microprecipitin reaction under paraffin oil was used for serological 
tests. Plant sap was clarified with an equal volume of chloroform prior to testing. 
Virus and antiserum gifts. PVMV-Gh amd its antiserum (titre 2048) were obtained 
from Dr A. A. Brunt (Littlehampton, England). Dr R. Bartels (Braunschweig, W- 
Germany) kindly provided antisera against potato virus A (titre 4096), henbane mosaic 
virus (titre 4096), tobacco etch virus (titre 512) and Columbian Datura virus (titre 
2048). 
Results 
Occurrence in Ivory Coast. PVMV-CI is prevalent in all Capsicum annuum and C. 
frutescem cultivars grown in the South of the country. In the North peppers are less 
affected. The virus has also been isolated from indigenous Datura metel. 
Host range and symptoms. The reaction of a few host plants to inoculation with 
PVMV-CI and PVMV-Gh has been compared in Ivory Coast: No differences in 
symptoms were observed on C. frutescens ‘Ferké’, C. annuum ‘Poivron doux d‘améri- 
que’ and N. megalosiphon, but P. floriduna showed a difference in reaction described 
below. The following other differences are based on comparison of my observations on 
PVMV-CI with literature data on PVMV-Gh. 
P. Jloridana reacted with epinasty and vein yellowing in the young leaves five to six 
days after inoculation with PVMV-CI, followed by mosaic, leaf malformation and 
reduction in leaf and plant size. PVMV-Gh induced necrotic local lesions, necrosis and 
abscission of the inoculated leaves and usually stem necrosis leading to death of the 
plant. A few surviving plants showed the same symptoms in their young leaves as 
induced by PVMV-CI. 
Nicotiana tabacum ‘Xanthi’ and ‘Samsun’ reacted first like PVMV-Gh with ciryplar 
chlorotic local lesions but these were sometimes followed by a necrotic ringspotting 
(Fig. l), 2-3 mm in diameter. Recovery of virus from young leaves was not always 
possible. 
N. megalosiphon : necrotic or chlorotic local lesions and sometimes a ringspotting 
appeared after four to five days on the inoculated leaf, but the local lesions were not 
consistent enough for assay purposes. Systemically infected leaves showed a mosaic. 
Chenopodium amaranticolor and C. foetidum react with local lesions at temperatures 
ranging from 20-24 “C but only with a faint chlorotic spotting under tropical condi- 
tions. 
Hyoscyamus niger, reacting with local lesions on the inoculated leaves and systemic 
symptoms in the young leaves, could not sufficiently tolerate the tropical climate. 
Species susceptible without showing symptoms but recorded not to be susceptible 
for PVMV-Gh were : Gomphrena globosa, Vinca rosea and Zinnia elegans. Tetragonia 
expansa and Amaranthus caudatiu, recorded to be susceptible for PVMV-Gh, were 
found not susceptible. 
Other Solanaceous species reacting with systemic symptoms are : Capsicum bncca- 
tum, Cyphomanclra betacea, Datura metel, Hyoscyamus albus, H. aureus, Lycopersicum 
esculentum ‘Moneymaker’, L. pimpinellifolium, Nicotiana bentheriana, N. exigua, 
190 Neth. J. PI. Path. 79 (1973) 
Fig. 1. Leaf of ‘Xanthi’ tobacco with ringspotting caused by PVMV-CI on the inoculated leaf. 
I 
Fig. I .  ‘Xanthi’ tabalc met bingvlekvonning op eeia blad geiiiocrtleevd met P VMV-CI. - 
Petunia nyctaginijloru, P. violacea, Physulis alkekengi, P. anguluta and P. peruviana. 
Symptomless infection occurred in Atropa belladonna, Petunia parvijlora and Solanurn 
nigrum. Immune were Atropa belladonna ‘Lutea’ , Nicotiana sylvestris, Physalis fianclie- 
tii, Solununi dulcurnura, S. dernissum ‘AC , S. riudjlorum, S. sinaicum, S. tuberosunz 
‘Alpha’, ‘Bintje’, ‘EersteliGg, and ‘Furore’. 
Other non-susceptible species were : Allium cepa, A. porrunt, A. sehoenoprusuni, A. 
raniosunz, Arachis Itypogueu, Chenopodium arnbrosioides, C. botrys, G. bonus-ltenricus, 
C. hybriduin, Iris sibirica, Pussijloru edulis, P. foetidu, Phytolacca esculenta, Portulacca 
oleraceu, Ranunculus urvensis, Vigna sinensis and Zea mais. 
Physulisfloridunu is the best assay host while this species and Nicotiana megalosiphon 
are good diagnostic hosts. The genus Solanum is very little susceptible: six out of 
seven species are not susceptible for PVMV-CI and six out of eight species for the two 
isolates. 
Transmission. Aphis gossypii Glover, A. spiraecola Patch and Toxoptera citricidus 
Kirkaldy transmitted PVMV-CI in a non-persistent manner, with a transmission rate 
for one aphid per plant of respectively 19,6 and 21 % (Swenson, 1967), if C.fiutescens 
was used as virus source and test plant. Of these three aphids found in Ivory Coast, the 
presence in Africa of A. spiruecola is not yet mentioned by other authors (Hille Ris 
Lambers, personal communication). 
Neth. J. Pl. Path. 79 (1973) 
With dodder, Cuscutu subinclusa, no transmission was found. 
191 
Pur@catioiz. Inoculated and systemically infected leaves of N. megalosiphon, collected 
12-1 8 days after inoculation, were used for virus purification. Freezing of leaves prior 
to extraction caused a nearly total disappearance of the virus from the gradients. The 
virus was purified according to the method of Damirdagh and Shepherd (1970) for 
viruses of the potato virus Y group, using urea and mercaptoethanol in the buffers to 
homogenize the leaves and for resuspension of the highspeed pellets. In the clarifica- 
tion procedure triton-X-100 detergent was used as described by Van Oosten (1972). 
Virus yields were between 5 and 20 mg/kg of leaf (E 280/260 = 0.80). Electron micros- 
copy of these preparations revealed no difference in particle length (770 nm) between 
PVMV-CI and PVMV-Gh. 
Serology. An antiserum with a titre of 4096 in the microprecipitin test was prepared to 
PVMV-CI. No serological difference between PVMV-CI and PVMV-Gh could be 
demonstrated. 
The two isolates failed to react with antiserum to potato virus A, henbane mosaic 
virus and tobacco etch virus but a weak positive reaction was obtained with Colum- 
bian Datura virus antiserum. 
PVMV-CI was furthermore tested in the Laboratory of Flower Bulb Research 
(Lisse, the Netherlands) with antisera to a number of filamentous viruses. The virus 
failed to react with the antisera to potato viruses X, S ,  M and Y (normal and necrotic 
strain), tobacco etch virus, bean yellow mosaic virus, narcissus yellow stripe virus and 
tulip breaking virus. However, a positive reaction was obtained with the antiserum to 
onion yellow dwarf virus. 
Discussion 
PVMV-CI shares most characteristics with PVMV-Gh. The slight differences found 
in symptomatology and susceptibility between the hosts of the two PVMV isolates do 
not permit their distinction as two different strains. 
Columbian Datura virus shows a distant serological relationship to the two isolates of 
PVMV but does not infect C. annuum (Kahn and Bartels, 1968). Onion yellow dwarf 
virus, although serologically related to PVMV-CI, has its host range in the mono- 
cotyledones (Henderson, 1953) and Allium species are not susceptible to PVMV-CI. 
Therefore these two viruses are clearly different. 
Acknowledgments 
The author is very much indebted to Dr D. H. M. van Slogteren (Lisse) for serological 
testing, to D. Hille Ris Lambers (Bennekom) for determination of the aphids, to 
J. D. Mobach and Aho Kouakou for technical assistance and to Professor L. Hirth 
and Professor A. van Kammen for valuable discussions. 
Samenvatting . ,  
‘Pepper veinal mottle virus’ in Ivoorkust 
Een zeer algemeen voorkomende virusziekte van spaanse pepers (Capsicum frutescens) 
192 Neth. J. Pl. Path. 79 (1973) 
in Ivoorkust bleek veroorzaakt te worden door het ‘pepper veinal mottle virus’ 
(PVMV) door Brunt en Kenten (1971 en 1972) uit Ghana beschreven. Het virus maakt 
deel uit van de aardappelvirus-Y-groep. 
Hoewel ook de waardplantenreeks van de in Ivoorkust voorkomende stam van het 
virus (PVMV-CI) voornamelijk Solanaceeën omvat, bleek het geslacht Solanum echter 
in hoge mate onvatbaar. Physalis jloridana en Nicotiana megalosiphon zijn goede 
diagnostische soorten. PVMV-CI kan op non-persistente wijze overgebracht worden 
door Aphis gossypii, A. spiraecola en Toxoptera citricidus. De laatste twee zijn nog niet 
eerder als vectoren vermeld. Overdracht door middel van warkruid, Cuscuta subin- 
clusa, bleek niet mogelijk. Het virus werd gezuiverd uit N. nzegalosiphon, waarbij op- 
brengsten van 5-20 mg virus per kg vers blad verkregen werden. Een antiserum met 
een titer van 4096 werd bereid. Serologische verwantschap met het ‘onion yellow 
dwarf virus’ en het ‘Columbian Datura virus’ kon worden aangetoond. 
j References 
Brunt, A. A. & Kenten, R. H., 1971. Pepper veinal mottle virus - a new member of the potato virus Y 
’ 
group from peppers (Capsicum aiiiumin L. and C. fiutescens L.) in Ghana. Ann. appl. Biol. 69: 
Brunt, A. A. & Kenten, R. H., 1972. Pepper veinal mottle virus. Commenw. mycol. Inst./Association 
Damirdagh, I. S. & Shepherd, R. J., 1970. Purification of the tobacco etch and other viruses of the 
Henderson, D. M., 1953. Virus yellows of shallots. Plant Pathol. ‘21: 130-133. 
Hollings, D. M. & Bock, K. R., 1970. East african survey of virus diseases in main food crops. 
Kahn, R. P. & Bartels, R., 1968. The Columbian Datura virus - a new virus in the potato virus Y 
Leather, R. I., 1959. Diseases of economic plants in Ghana other than Cacao. Bull no 1 Min. Food 
Oosten, H. J. van, 1972. Purification of plum pox (sharka) virus with the use of Triton-X-100. Neth. 
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Present address 
’ Ciba-Geigy AG, Agrochemicals Division, Ch-4002 Basel, Switzerland. 
Neth. J. PI. Patli. 79 (1973) 193 


Pepper veinal mottle virus in Ivory Coast

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