Ultrastructural Aspects of the Mixed Infections of Watermelon Mosaic Potyvirus Isolated from Pumpkin and Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Tobamovirus from Watermelon

Mixed infection of watermelon mosaic potyvirus II isolated from pumpkin (WMV-P) and cucumber green mottle mosaic tobamovirus from watermelon (CGMMV-W) caused extremely severe symptoms such as progressive silting and death of watermelon plants. Single infections of either WMV-P or CGMMV-W on the same hosts produced only vein clearing and/or mosaic on the upper leaves. In cells infected with WMV-P, potyvirus-characteristic inclusions of pinwheels, scrolls and cylindrical inclusions were present in the cytosol. Parallel arrays of virus particles in the tonoplast were also common. In cells infected with CGMMV-W, virus particles occurred as stacked-bands of scattered randomly in the cytosol and vacuoles in all type cells. Many cells also contained vesiculated mitochondria with fibril-containing vesicles. Cells infected mixedly with WMV-P and CGMMV-W contained structural features that were not observed in cells infected singly with the two viruses. A particle of WMV-P potyvirus was surrounded by evenly spaced nine particles of CGMMV-W tobamovirus, which made a unique nonagon ring. The angled layers having $60^{\circ}$-$135^{\circ}$ were alternating layer, herringbone, crosshatching and ladder figures.