Association of a Badnavirus with Citrus Mosaic Disease in India

Abstract

A previously unreported badnavirus was found to be associated with a mosaic disease occurring commonly in orchard trees and nursery plants of citrus in India. The virus had 30 x 150 nm nonenveloped bacilliform particles typical of badnaviruses, and was found by immunosorbent electron microscopy to be related serologically to sugarcane bacilliform and to eight other badnaviruses. Upon PCR amplification using degenerate oligonucleotide primers based on conserved badnavirus genomic sequences, the viral genomic nucleic acid yielded a product similar in size to that obtained with other badnaviruses which have been shown to contain dsDNA genomes. The virus, named citrus mosaic badnavirus (CMBV), was graft- and dodder-transmitted to 13 of 14 citrus species and cultivars, and was transmitted by mechanical inoculation from symptomatic citrus to healthy Citrus decumana.