Cucumber mosaic virus Establishes Systemic Infection at Increased Temperature Following Viral Entrance Into the Phloem Pathway of Tetragonia expansa

Abstract

A potential regulatory site for Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, pepo strain) movement necessary to establish systemic infection was identified through immunological and hybridization studies on Tetragonia expansa, which was systemically infected by CMV at 36°C but not at 24°C. In inoculated leaves, cell-to-cell movement of CMV was enhanced at 36°C compared with that observed at 24°C. CMV was distributed in the phloem cells of minor veins as well as epidermal and mesophyll cells at both 36 and 24°C. CMV was detected in the petioles of inoculated leaves, stems, and petioles of uninoculated upper leaves at 36°C, whereas CMV was detected only in the petioles of inoculated leaves and in stems at 24°C. CMV moved into the phloem and was transported to the stem within 24 h postinoculation (hpi) at 36°C. However, it did not accumulate in the petioles of the upper leaves until 36 hpi. In petioles of inoculated leaves at 24°C, CMV was detected in the external phloem but not in the internal phloem. From these results, we conclude that systemic infection is established after viral entrance into the phloem pathway in T. expansa at 36°C.