Pepper vein yellows virus, a novel luteovirus from bell pepper plants in Japan.

Bell pepper plants showing vein yellowing and leaf roll symptoms were observed in plastic houses at Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa Prefecture in 1981. The causal agent did not infect plants by mechanical inoculation or through seed but was transmitted by grafting and two species of aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover. collected from pepper and Myzus persicae Sulz. in a persistent manner. The causal agent has limited host range, only infect Capsicum species. In serological tests this agent did not react with antisera to potato leaf roll virus, tobacco necrotic dwarf virus, barley yellow dwarf virus and beet western yellows virus. Partially purified preparations contained spherical particles 25nm in diameter. In ultrathin sections virus-like particles were observed only in the phloem cells of infected pepper plants. Based on these results the causal agent was classified as a new member of the luteovirus group and named pepper vein yellows virus (PeVYV).