Biological and Molecular Characterization of a U.S. Isolate of Hosta virus X

• Published in: Phytopathology Vol. 102; no. 12; pp. 1176 - 1181
• Main Authors: DE LA TORRE, Carola M, FENG QU, REDINBAUGH, Margaret G, LEWANDOWSKI, Dennis J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: St. Paul, MN American Phytopathological Society 01.12.2012
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Complementary - genetics; DNA, Viral - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; Genome, Viral; Hosta; Hosta - virology; Nicotiana benthamiana; Phylogeography; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Diseases - virology; Plant Viruses - classification; Plant Viruses - genetics; RNA, Viral; United States; United States; Liliaceae; Monocotyledones; Plant pathogen; Angiospermae; Perennial plant; Ornamental crop; Isolate; Herbaceous plant; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0031-949X; 1943-7684
• DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-02-12-0025-R

Hosta virus X (HVX) is rapidly becoming a serious pathogen of commercially important hosta plants worldwide. We report here biological and molecular characterization of a U.S. isolate of HVX, HVX-37. HVX-37 infectivity was tested in 21 hosta cultivars over three growth seasons, and three types of responses were defined based upon the ability of the virus to cause local and/or systemic infections. Four cultivars resistant to systemic HVX infection were identified. The full-length sequence of the HVX-37 genome was determined, the first complete sequence of a U.S. HVX isolate. Comparison with the previously sequenced HVX-Korea (Kr) genome revealed a high level of sequence similarity, as well as some differences. Notably, a 105-nucleotide long, near-perfect direct repeat in the Kr isolate is absent in HVX-37. The accuracy of the HVX-37 genome sequence was confirmed by infectivity of in vitro transcripts synthesized from a full-length HVX-37 cDNA on Nicotiana benthamiana and hosta plants.