Grapevine Vein Clearing Virus Is Seedborne but Not Seed Transmitted in Ampelopsis cordata and Chardonel Vines

Abstract

Grapevine vein clearing virus (GVCV) seriously affects grape production in the Midwest region of the United States. It infects cultivated and native grapevines and wild vines of Ampelopsis cordata and is transmitted by grape aphids in native sites and in vineyards. In this study, we asked if GVCV is transmitted vertically via seeds. To this end, seeds were collected from both healthy and GVCV-infected A. cordata from native sites and Chardonel vines from vineyards. The seeds and seedlings of both Vitaceae genotypes were tested for GVCV by PCR. GVCV was detected in the seeds obtained from GVCV-infected A. cordata and Chardonel, but not from the cotyledons and true leaves of their seedlings. Seeds from healthy vines of both Vitaceae genotypes and their seedlings were negative for GVCV by PCR. The results indicate that GVCV is seedborne but not seed transmitted, an important contribution to the knowledge on the ecology of the virus.