Abstract
More than fifty viruses have been reported in cucurbit crops worldwide. In Ecuador, approximately 3,000 ha of watermelon, melon and cucumbers are cultivated annually, but there have been few studies to identify viruses responsible for epidemics. During this study, sequencing of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) extracted from watermelon and melon leaves showing virus-like symptoms revealed the presence of Melon yellow spot virus (MYSV, genus Tospovirus) and the partially described Cucumis melo endornavirus (CmEV). Specific primers, designed to detect each virus, showed that MYSV was present in 40, 64 and 67 % of symptomatic watermelon, cucumber and melon samples, respectively. For CmEV, 95 % of both symptomatic and asymptomatic melon plants tested positive. However, the virus was not detected in watermelon or cucumber. Sequence comparisons showed nucleotide identities of 97 % and 94 % for the polymerase and the nucleocapsid protein, respectively, between the Ecuadorean MYSV and the one reported from Japan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of MYSV and CmEV in Ecuador and the Americas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Brown, J. K., Idris, A. M., Torres-Jerez, I., Banks, G. K., & Wyatt, S. D. (2001). The core region of the coat protein gene is highly useful for establishing the provisional identification and classification of begomoviruses. Archives of Virology, 146, 1581–1598.
Coutts, R. H. A. (2005). First report of an endornavirus in the Cucurbitaceae. Virus Genes, 31, 361–362.
Espinoza, L., Jama, M., Álvarez, R., Paredes, J., & Peralta, E. L. (2010). Determinacion de generos y especies virales que se encuentran afectando a las cucurbitaceas en la zona de pedro carbo, provincia del Guayas. Revista Tecnológica Espol, 23, 33–40.
Froussard, P. (1992). A random-PCR method (rPCR) to construct whole cDNA library from low amounts of RNA. Nucleic Acids Research, 20, 2900.
Gu, Q. S., Wu, H. J., Chen, H. Y., Zhang, X. J., Wu, M. Z., Wang, D. M., et al. (2012). Melon yellow spot virus identified in china for the first time. New Disease Reports, 25, 7.
Halgren, A., Tzanetakis, I. E., & Martin, R. R. (2007). Identification, characterization, and detection of black raspberry necrosis virus. Phytopathology, 97, 44–50.
Kato, K., Hanada, K., & Kameya-Iwaki, M. (2000). Melon yellow spot virus: a distinct species of the genus tospovirus isolated from melon. Phytopathology, 90, 422–426.
Lecoq, H., & Desbiez, C. (2012). Viruses of cucurbit crops in the Mediterranean region: an ever-changing picture. Advances in Virus Research, 84, 67–126.
Lecoq, H., Wisler, G., & Pitrat, M. (1998). Cucurbit viruses: the classics and the emerging. (In: McCreight J.D. (Ed.). Cucurbitaceae 98, evaluation and enhancement of cucurbit germplasm, (pp. 126–142). ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA, USA).
Morris, T. J., & Dodds, J. A. (1979). Isolation and analysis of double-stranded RNA from virus-infected plant and fungal tissue. Phytopathology, 69, 854–858.
Peng, J. C., Yeh, S. D., Huang, L. H., Li, J. T., Cheng, Y. F., & Chen, T. C. (2011). Emerging threat of thrips-borne melon yellow spot virus on melon and watermelon in Taiwan. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 130, 205–214.
Romay, G., Lecoq, H., Geraud-Pouey, F., Chirinos, D. T., & Desbiez, C. (2014). Current status of cucurbit viruses in Venezuela and characterization of Venezuelan isolates of zucchini yellow mosaic virus. Plant Pathology, 63, 78–87.
Zheng, L., Wayper, P. J., Gibbs, A. J., Fourment, M., Rodoni, B. C., & Gibbs, M. J. (2008). Accumulating variation at conserved sites in Potyvirus genomes is driven by species discovery and affects degenerate primer design. PLoS ONE, 3, e1586.
Zitter, T. A., Hopkins, D. L., & Thomas, C. E. (1996). Compendium of cucurbit diseases. MN: APS Press St. Paul.
Acknowledgments
This work was partially funded by the Integrated Pest Management –Collaborative Research Support Program, IPM-CRSP (USAID sub-award number: 425,981-19A72). Additional funding was provided by the Ecuadorean Science and Technology Secretariat (SENESCYT), through the National Emblematic Program PROMETEO. The authors are thankful to all growers in Manabí and Santa Elena for granting access to fields for sample collection.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Quito-Avila, D.F., Peralta, E., Martin, R. et al. Detection and occurrence of melon yellow spot virus in Ecuador: an emerging threat to cucurbit production in the region. Eur J Plant Pathol 140, 193–197 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-014-0454-1
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-014-0454-1