Pelargonium zonate spot virus is transmitted vertically via seed and pollen in tomato.

In autumn 2007, a new disease with unknown etiology was observed in open-field tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in the Lachish region of Israel. The symptoms included mild mosaic, leaf malformation, and severe stunting of the plants. The causal agent was readily transmitted mechanically from the sap of infected plants to indicator plants. Viral particles were purified from infected plants and cDNA was synthesized from RNA isolated from the particles. Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA showed 95% identity to RNA 3 of Pelargonium zonate spot virus (PZSV). Using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, PZSV was detected in both seed and pollen grains of infected tomato plants. Attempts to disinfect seed by using hydrochloric acid and trisodium phosphate failed to eliminate this PZSV detection. Seed from infected tomato plants gave rise to infected seedlings with a seed-transmission rate of PZSV of 11 to 29%. Pollen grains collected from flowers of infected plants were used to hand pollinate healthy mother tomato plants. Although none of the pollinated mother plants became infected with PZSV, 29% of the seedlings produced from seed harvested from these plants were found to be infected. This is the first demonstration that PZSV is transmitted vertically via both pollen and seed in tomato plants.

Development of a Scale for Evaluation of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus Resistance Level in Tomato Plants.

ABSTRACT We have developed a scale of differential hosts that enables the determination and comparison of level of resistance to Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) expressed by resistant tomato lines or by individual plants in a segregating population. The scale is composed of seven different homozygous tomato genotypes that exhibit different levels of TYLCV resistance, ranging from fully susceptible to highly resistant. The differential hosts composing the scale were inoculated with TYLCV under greenhouse conditions. Four weeks after inoculation the plants were evaluated for disease symptom severity, and virus DNA titer was determined. The different genotypes were arranged in the scale according to symptom severity score. The different genotypes were then tested under different environmental conditions, inoculated at different ages, and tested in a field experiment assaying TYLCV-induced yield reduction. While the symptom severity score of each individual resistant genotype changed under different environmental conditions, the relative position on the scale did not alter, except for one genotype. Thus, to evaluate disease resistance of a given tomato genotype, the genotype in question should be inoculated alongside the differential hosts composing the scale, and within 4 weeks one can determine the relative level of resistance of the tested genotype.