Peanut Stunt Virus Isolated from Beans in Japan

Abstract

Four kinds of viruses were isolated from beans showing mosaic symptoms collected from Fukushima prefecture. These were cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), bean common mosaic virus, bean yellow mosaic virus, and a virus previously unreported in Japan. The virus was transmitted by sap and by at least two species of aphids. Host range of the virus was moderatly wide, mostly in Leguminosae and Solanaceae. In bean or tobacco juice, infectivity was lost by heating at 55-65C for 10 minutes, and by aging at 15C for 5 to 10 days, and by diluting at 10³-10⁴. The virus was purified after clarification of homogenized tobacco leaf tissues with chloroform, by differential centrifugation followed by sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. Electron microscopic examination of purified preparation showed spherical particles of 25-30nm in diameter. In the serological test, this virus was closely related with peanut stunt virus (PSV), and was distantly related to chrysanthemum mild mottle virus. Antiserum to the virus did not react with Y strain of CMV and two strains of broad bean wilt virus. From these results, this virus was identified as a strain of PSV and I proposed the name of PSV-J for Japanese isolate. This is the first report in occurrence of PSV in other countries than America.