Characteristics and Distribution of Potato Latent Carlavirus (Red LaSoda Virus) in North America

ABSTRACT A carlavirus (code name RLSV and subsequently named potato latent carlavirus, PotLV) with serological and biological characteristics different from those of potato M carlavirus (PVM) and potato S carlavirus (PVS) was detected in the potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivar Red LaSoda by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency in 1992. During a routine electron microscope testing of accessions in the Vancouver Collection of Virus-Free Potatoes growing in the California winter test in 1993, a filamentous rod-shaped virus similar to PVS and PVM was found in a Red LaSoda clone from Nebraska. The virus was isolated and purified. The monoclonal antibody, MAb 4E12, which is highly specific to the PotLV virus, was developed. From 1994 to 1998, the accessions in the Vancouver Collection of Virus-Free Potatoes were assayed by triple antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TAS-ELISA) using the 4E12 MAb. Seven accessions tested from 1994 to 1996 were infected with PotLV. None of the 270 and 267 acce...