Occurrence of a closely-related isolate to Maize yellow striate virus in wheat plants

Abstract

In Argentina, wheat fields have exhibited virus-like symptoms, such as chlorotic streaking, dwarfing, yellowing and empty ears since 2007. Symptomatic plants and leaves samples were collected in Marcos Juárez (2007) and Río Cuarto (2008 and 2013), both of them in Córdoba province. The virus was experimentally transmitted from symptomatic wheat plants to wheat cv. Baguette 10 and cv. BioINTA 3005 using the vector Delphacodes kuscheli Fennah (Delphacidae); symptoms of chlorotic streaking, dwarfing and yellowing appeared in the inoculated cereals at 10–15 days post-inoculation. Virus presence was confirmed by electron microscopy and RT-PCR using degenerated primers, which amplified a conserved region of the plant rhabdovirus polymerase (L) gene. Sequence comparison showed 98% nucleotide identity with Maize yellow striate virus C. Caroya (JQ715419) isolated from corn in Argentina. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of Maize yellow striate virus in wheat in Argentina.