Archivio Journal of Plant Pathology

Abstract:

Calla lily [Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng] has become one of the most popular cut flowers worldwide. It has been reported as the natural host of various plant viruses, including potyviruses such as Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), Dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV), Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and Zantedeschia mosaic virus (ZaMV). In 2005 a new potyvirus named Zantedeschia mild mosaic virus (ZaMMV) was identified in Taiwan (Huang and Chang, 2005). In 2012, 15 plants of Calla lily cultivated in Tuscan farms showed leaves with yellow spots and stripes, green islands and an unusual mild mosaic. Seventeen samples (15 symptomatic and two symptomless) were collected and assayed by ELISA for BYMV, DsMV, TuMV, ZaMV and potyviruses using antisera produced by DSMZ (Braunschweig, Germany) and LOEWE Biochemica (Sauerlach, Germany). Plants were positive for an anti-potyvirus group monoclonal antibody. Positive samples were assayed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for ZaMMV using total RNA extracted from leaves and specific primers for the coat protein gene (Wen-Chi et al., 2010). Amplicons of the expected size (792 bp) were obtained for 15 samples that reacted positively to the potyvirus antibodies, while no amplification was observed in symptomless samples. The sequence obtained from one ZaMMV amplicon (accession No. KF156666) had 99% nucleotide identity with the corresponding fragment of a reference ZaMMV isolate (GenBank accession no. AY626825.4). To our knowledge this is the first report of ZaMMV on Zantedeschia aethiopica in Italy.