Abstract

A virus named Cymbidium mild mosaic virus(Cy MMV), was mechanically transmitted to Chenopodium amaranticolor from the leaves of Cymbidium with mild mosaic symptoms. The virus was cultured in C. amaranticolor, in which it produced local chlorotic and ring spots, followed by systemic vein clearing with distortion. CyMMV infected 7 out of 35 species of plants. In C. amaranticolor juice infectivity was lost by heating at $90^{\circ}C$ for 10 miuntes, and by aging at$20^{\circ}C$ for 60 days, and by diluting at $10^{-6}$ when bioassayed on C. amaranticolor. CyMMV was not transmitted by Myzus persicae. The virus was purified after clarification of homogenized C. amaranticolor leaf tissues with chloroform, by differential centrifugation followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Electron microscopic examination of purified preparation showed spherical particles of 28nm in diameter. The UV absorption spectrum of purified preparation was typical of u nucleoprotein (max. at 261nm. min. at 243nm), and showed 260/280=1.72 and max/min=1.26. The value of the sedimentation coefficient of the virus was S20.w=126. In gel-diffusion tests, CyMMV antiserum reacted with CarMV, but not with any of four other viruses (BBWV, CRSV, CMV, TBRV) having similar particles and properties in vitro. In ultra-thin sections of CyMMV infected tissues, a large number of virus particles were found in the cytoplasm of mesophyll cells and in xylem vessels.

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