Investigation of papaya viruses and association of a mycoplasma-like organism with the bunchy top disease of Carica papaya L. in the Dominican Republic
1969
Story, Gale Eugene
Two virus diseases are presently found attacking papaya in the Dominican Republic. The first and more severe of the two diseases is characterized by the same physical properties, host range, and symptomology as reported for distortion ringspot virus (DRV) in Florida and papaya mosaic virus in Puerto Rico. Cytopathic morphology was characterized by cytoplasmic "circular" and "pinwheel" inclusions as previously reported in tissue infected with DRV. DRV is mechanically transmitted and severely limits papaya production in the central regions of the Dominican Republic. The second disease observed has not been previously reported. The causal agent is a virus that shares common antigenic properties with DRV. The mild isolate of DRV was not mechanically transmittable from papaya and exhibited much milder symptoms than DRV. Another papaya disease which has been considered to be of vital origin and placed in the "yellows" group is bunchy top. This disease was found throughout the country and was transmitted by the leafhopper, Empoasca papaya Oman. Electron micrographs of phloem sieve tubes and parenchyma cells from infected tissue did not reveal any virus inclusions but structures resembling mycoplasma. Similar bodies were not found in healthy tissue. ...
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