Plant Viruses Online   

Descriptions and Lists from the VIDE Database

Watermelon chlorotic stunt bigeminivirus

Index

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

Data collated by D.G.A. Walkey and P. Jones, 1989.

Nomenclature

Acronym

WmCSV

ICTV decimal code

29.0.3.0.049

Host range and symptoms

Natural host range and symptoms

Symptoms persist.
• Citrullus vulgaris, C. colocynthis - crinkling and chlorotic mottling of young leaves; severe stunting.

Transmission

Transmitted by a vector; an insect; probably Bemisia tabaci, but this has still to be confirmed; Aleyrodidae. Virus not transmitted by mechanical inoculation; transmitted by grafting.

Ecology and control

Studies reported by Jones et al. (1988); Walkey et al. (1989).

Geographical distribution

Spreads in Saudi Arabia (possibly), Yemen (the north and south).

Experimental host range

Few (<3) families susceptible. Experimentally infected plants mostly show systemic mosaic, mottling, ringspotting or necrosis.

Diagnostically susceptible host species and symptoms

• Citrullus vulgaris - systemic chlorotic mottling, crinkling and malformation of tip leaves.

Maintenance and propagation hosts

Citrullus vulgaris cvs Sugar Baby, Charleston Grey and other cultivars.

Susceptible host species

• Citrullus colocynthis
• Citrullus lanatus
• Citrullus vulgaris

Insusceptible host species

• Coccinea grandis
• Cucumis melo
• Cucumis sativus
• Cucurbita pepo

Families containing susceptible hosts

• Cucurbitaceae (3/7)

Families containing insusceptible hosts

• Cucurbitaceae (4/7)

Comments on host-range

Has only been graft transmitted to Citrullus vulgaris.

Physical and biochemical properties

Properties of particles in sap

Leaf sap contains few virions. Electron microscopy: ISEM trapping procedures have so far been essential to see virions.

Purification method

Purification is difficult because of the very small concentrations of virions in plants after symptoms show.

Particle morphology

Virions geminate; not enveloped; individual virions of geminate pair are c. 19 nm in diameter; 19 nm in length; rounded in profile; without a conspicuous capsomere arrangement.

NCBI sequence data (Entrez search)

Sequence database accession code(s)

• X79430 Em(40)_vi:WCSVAC1 Gb(84)_vi:WCSVAC1 Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus AC1 gene (partial). 5/94 410bp. 1 sequence.

Taxonomy and relationships

bigeminivirus: Geminiviridae

Virus(es) with serologically related virions

African cassava mosaic and squash leaf curl viruses.

Virus(es) with serologically unrelated virions

Beet curly top virus.

Additional comments on relationships

No homology found in tests with probes to watermelon curly mottle virus.

Comments and References

References

• Alhubaishi, A.A., Walkey, D.G.A., Webb, M.J.W., Bolland, C.J. and Cook, A.A. (1987). FAO Pl. Prot. Bull. 35: 135.
• Jones, P., Satar, M.H.A. and Alkaff, N. (1987). Rep. Rothamsted Exp. Stn. 1987, p. 76.
• Jones, P., Sattar, M.H.A. and Alkaff, N. (1988). Asp. Appl. Biol. 17: 203.
• Walkey, D.G.A., Alhubaishi, A.A. and Webb, M.J.W. (1989). Trop. Pest Manag. 36: 195.

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.