Purification and Properties of the Geminivirus Euphorbia Mosaic Virus

Abstract

Euphorbia mosaic virus was purified from infected plants of Nicotiana benthamiana. Highest concentrations of virus particles were found in infected plant tissue between 10-12 days after inoculation. The enzyme driselase assisted in purification of the virus particles from the infected tissue yielding about 600 Mg/kg of plant material. Purified preparations showed a maximum absorption at 260-263 nm and the ratio of absorption at 260 and 280 nm was 1.4. The viral nucleic acid was digested by DNase I and Si Nuclease but not RNase A. A single coat protein with a MW of 32,000 d and two DNA bands with a MW 0.96 X IO* d (2870 nucleotides) and 0.90 X 10^ d (2700 nucleotides) were associated with the purified virus particles. Virus specific DNA was isolated from infected tissue between 7 and 15 days after inoculations.

Molecular characterization and experimental host range of Euphorbia mosaic virus‐Yucatan Peninsula, a begomovirus species in the Squash leaf curl virus clade

“…Plants of E. heterophylla are well distributed in the neotropics, and the disease induced by EuMV has been documented in several locations within this region (Bird et al ., 1975; Costa, 1976; Debrot & Centeno, 1986; Jaramillo & Lastra, 1986; Brown et al ., 2001; Ala‐Poikela et al ., 2005). Recent evidence suggests that EuMV is a begomovirus species of a common neotropical weed ( E. heterophylla ) that has the ability to naturally cause disease in pepper plants, because the core Cp sequence of EuMV has been detected in pepper plants in the states of Yucatan and Sonora, Mexico (Escobedo‐GraciaMedrano, unpublished data; Brown, unpublished data).…”

“…Euphorbia heterophylla plants with symptoms were first reported in Brazil (Costa & Bennett, 1950), followed by Puerto Rico (Bird et al ., 1975) and Venezuela (Debrot & Centeno, 1986). The virus was classified on the basis of biological, biochemical and physical properties as a distinct whitefly‐transmitted geminivirus having a narrow host range (Costa, 1976; Bird et al ., 1975; Debrot & Centeno, 1986; Jaramillo & Lastra, 1986). This virus was associated with ultrastructural changes in infected leaves of Datura stramonium resembling those caused by whitefly‐transmitted geminiviruses (Kim & Fulton, 1984).…”

“…This virus was associated with ultrastructural changes in infected leaves of Datura stramonium resembling those caused by whitefly‐transmitted geminiviruses (Kim & Fulton, 1984). The virus is presently classified by the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) as a provisional begomovirus species (Fauquet et al ., 2005) based on whitefly transmissibility, cytopathology and geminate‐like particles characteristic of begomoviruses observed in infected leaves (Bird & Sánchez, 1971; Jaramillo & Lastra, 1986) and a begomovirus‐like core coat protein (core Cp ) sequence (Brown et al ., 2001; Ala‐Poikela et al ., 2005).…”