Biological, serological and molecular characterisation of Raspberry bushy dwarf virus from grapevine and its detection in the nematode Longidorus juvenilis

Abstract

In 2003, Raspberry bushy dwarf virus was found for the first time in grapevine. Since this was the first report of a non-Rubus natural host, information about it is sparse. During this study the grapevine isolates were characterised biologically, serologically and genetically and compared with known information about Rubus isolates. Infected plant material was used for mechanical inoculation of test plants, and for serological characterisation with monoclonal antibodies. Most of RNA 2 was sequenced and compared with other sequences from the database. Grapevine isolates infected Chenopodium murale systemically, which is not known for raspberry isolates. They were differentiated from Slovenian raspberry isolates with three monoclonal antibodies using TAS-ELISA. Phylogenetic analyses clustered grapevine isolates separately from raspberry isolates. Additionally, the virus was detected using nested RT-PCR in Longidorus juvenilis nematodes collected in an infected vineyard. Grapevine isolates of RBDV are distinct from raspberry isolates. © 2008 KNPV.