Patchouli virus X, a new potexvirus from Pogostemon clabin

Summary This work describes a potexvirus obtained from patchouli, Pogostemon clabin, collected in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1992. The plants showed mosaic and were infected by a potyvirus and a potexvirus. The potexvirus had a host range limited to Amaranthaceae, Solanaceae and Labiatae and was named Patchouli virus X (PatVX). PatVX was not transmitted by scissors pruning, in tobacco seeds or by Myzus nicotinae. The virus was purified and a specific antiserum with a titre great than 1:512 000 in dot-ELISA was produced. The virus was serologically related to Papaya mosaic virus, Potato virus X, Viola mottle virus, White clover mosaic virus and Lily virus X. It had a coat protein of 21 071 ± 1 010 Mr. as determined by SDS-PAGE. Immunolabelling tests demonstrated that fibrillar masses in the cytoplasm contain the coat protein. The presence of a dsRNA was detected in PatVX infected plants.