Author(s): TASSI, A. D.; FREITAS-ASTÚA, J.; JADÃO, A.; KITAJIMA, E. W.

Summary: The study of the virus/vector relationship in the citrus leprosis pathosystem has been hampered by the fact that the development of the lesions after the inoculation of the virus by Brevipalpus phoenicis mite takes 4-6 weeks on sweet orange leaves. The discovery that necrotic lesions caused by the CiLV-C develop 5-6 days after mite inoculation provided an excellent system to obtaín some parameters of the virus/vector relationship such as: virus acquisition feeding period (AFP), virus inoculation feeding period (IFP) and the percentage of viruliferous mites in a population. The experiments indicated that AFP is 2-3 days, IFP, 1-2 days, and that an average of 40% of B. phoenicis mites collected from a colony kept on CiLV-C infected fruits were viruliferous. A statistical analysis indicated that lesions on bean leaves are clustered. suggesting that the mites tend to feed in nearby areas. Experiments also confirmed previous data revealing that all the developmentai active phases of the mite are able to transmit the virus. Preliminary experíment by daily transter of the mites showed that viruliferous mites are able to transmit the virus at least after 3 transfers, without access to a virus source. Confirmation that the lesions were caused by CiLV-C was made by examination of the sections by transmission electron microscopy to detect cytopathology characterístic to CiLV-C infection and by RT-PCR using specific primers for CiLV-C.

Publication year: 2009

Types of publication: Abstract in annals or event proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Cassava & Fruits

Keywords: Citrus, Doença de Planta