Cytological Alterations Produced by Sweet Potato Mild Speckling Virus

The potyvirus sweet potato mild speckling (SPMSV) has the biological properties and the coat protein sequence already described. In this work, cytological alterations and the intracellular localization in Ipomoea setosa and Ipomoea batatas was studied. The observations were carried out by means of transmission electron microscopy, complemented with immunogold techniques for the viral localization with SPMSV antiserum of local production. The observations carried out showed almost no alteration on cell components but the presence of cylindrical inclusion in the cytoplasm (bundles, laminate aggregates, and pinwheels, neither circles nor scrolls) belonging to the type-2 in the classification of Edwardson and Christie (Cylindrical Inclusions. Bulletin 894, 1996, pp. 1-11). Gold particles were localized in cytoplasms of all tissues of the leaf.