Plant Viruses Online   

Descriptions and Lists from the VIDE Database

Maize mottle/chlorotic stunt virus

Index

• Nomenclature
• Host range, transmission and symptoms
• Physical and biochemical properties
• Taxonomy and relationships
• Comments and References

Data collated by A.A. Brunt, 1989.

Nomenclature

Synonyms

maize mottle virus.

ICTV decimal code

79.0.P.DE.24

Host range and symptoms

Natural host range and symptoms

Symptoms persist.
• Zea mays - transient leaf mottling in young leaves and, in susceptible cultivars, conspicuous chlorosis of older leaves, stunting of plants and sometimes tassel abortion, loss of seed production and bending of shoots.

Transmission

Transmitted by a vector; an insect; Cicadulina mbila, C. zeae, C. storeyi and C. triangula; Cicadellidae. Transmitted in a persistent manner. Virus not transmitted by mechanical inoculation; not transmitted by contact between plants.

Ecology and control

Studies reported by Storey (1937); Rossel and Thottappilly (1985).

Geographical distribution

Spreads in Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Experimental host range

Few (<3) families susceptible.

Diagnostically susceptible host species and symptoms

• Zea mays - transient chlorosis in tip leaves, then bright chlorosis of mature leaves.

Diagnostically insusceptible host species

Pennisetum typhoides.

Maintenance and propagation hosts

Zea mays.

Assay hosts (Local lesions or Whole plants)

Zea mays (W).

Susceptible host species

• Zea mays

Insusceptible host species

• Pennisetum typhoides

Families containing susceptible hosts

• Gramineae (1/2)

Families containing insusceptible hosts

• Gramineae (1/2)

Comments on host-range

Pennisetum typhoides (millet) is insusceptible and is thus a useful host for rearing non-viruliferous colonies of the virus vectors.

Sources of host-range data

Storey (1937); Rossel and Thottappilly (1985).

Physical and biochemical properties

Particle morphology

Virions isometric; not enveloped; 40 nm in diameter; rounded in profile.

Taxonomy and relationships

(ungrouped)

Comments and References

General comments

The Nigerian virus may be close to that called maize mottle virus in Tanzania by Storey (1937). However only modern varieties are available and so this cannot be proven. Therefore, despite historical precedence, the name maize mottle/chlorotic stunt virus should be used and "maize mottle virus" recognised as a synonym (Rossel and Thottappilly, 1985).

References

• Rossel, H.W. (1984). Maize Virus Disease Newsl..
• Rossel, H.W. and Thottappilly, G. (1983). In: Proc. Int. Maize Virus Dis. Coll. and Wksh., pp. 158-160. Wooster, Ohio Agric. Res. and Dev. Center.
• Rossel, H.W. and Thottappilly, G. (1985). Virus Diseases of Important Food Crops in Tropical Africa, pp. 49-51. I.I.T.A., Ibadan.
• Rossel, H.W., Buddenhagen, I.W. and Thottappilly, G. (1980). I.I.T.A. Res. Briefs 1: 2.
• Storey, H.H. (1937). Ann. appl. Biol. 24: 87.

Cite this publication as: Brunt, A.A., Crabtree, K., Dallwitz, M.J., Gibbs, A.J., Watson, L. and Zurcher, E.J. (eds.) (1996 onwards). `Plant Viruses Online: Descriptions and Lists from the VIDE Database. Version: 20^th August 1996.' URL http://biology.anu.edu.au/Groups/MES/vide/

Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993) should also be cited.