A strain of soybean mosaic virus infecting Passiflora spp in Colombia

Viruses causing severe mosaic, epinasty, defoliation, and premature death of Passiflora spp. were isolated from west central Colombia. Western blot analyses indicated the presence of potyviruses. Two Colombian isolates (COL-22 and -GR) were compared to known potyviruses as to host range, symptomatology, serological activity, amino acid and nucleotide sequence similarity in the coat protein and 3' noncoding region (3'NCR), and reactivity in dot-blot hybridization. Host range and symptomatology of COL-22 and -GR indicated they are similar to soybean mosaic virus (SMV). Also, both isolates reacted strongly with SMV antisera in immunodiffusion plates. Aphid transmission by Aphis gossypii and Toxoptera citricida was confirmed, but seed transmission was not demonstrated. In addition to COL-22 and -GR, five other Colombian isolates were cloned and sequenced. The deduced coat protein amino acid sequences for all of the Colombian isolates were virtually identical and shared a 98% similarity with SMV. Dot-blot hybridization experiments, using DNA complementary to the 3'NCR of the virus as a probe, further confirmed that the potyvirus infecting Passiflora spp. in Colombia is a strain of SMV. To our knowledge, infection of Passiflora spp. by a strain of SMV has not been previously reported.