Legume Yellows Virus, a New Persistent Aphid-Transmitted Virus of Legumes in California

Abstract

Legume yellows virus, which has host range and vector characteristics similar to pea leaf roll virus (PeLRV) and other legume yellowing viruses, recently was widely distributed in California, USA, legumes. It is transmitted in a persistent manner by Acyrthosiphon pisum and A. solani to a large number of leguminous species including Pisum sativum, Trifolium incarnatum, T. subterraneum, Vicia faba, Cicer arietinum, Medicago sativa and Glycine max, but not to over 30 spp. in 13 nonleguminous plant families. Purified preparations containing monodisperse icosahedral particles .apprx. 25 nm in diameter were infectious when fed to aphids through membranes. The virus is not identical but very similar to other legume-infecting yellowing viruses such as PeLRV or subterranean clover red leaf viruses (SCRLV). The virus differs markedly from beet western yellows virus (BWYV) in host range and vector specificity but is closely related to BWYV in reciprocal infectivity neutralization tests.