Wild Himalayan Cherry (Prunus cerasoides) as a Natural Host of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus in India

Abstract

Prunus cerasoides, also known as wild Himalayan cherry, grows naturally in the Himalayas. A member of the Rosaceae family, the tree has medicinal (astringent) and other (beads, dye, wood) uses. During surveys in the northwestern Himalayan Region of India, necrotic spots were observed on leaves of P. cerasoides. Since the symptoms were typical of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), preliminary detection was done by double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA (Agdia, Elkhart, IN). Positive results were obtained three times more than the negative control which is provided in the kit. To further confirm its presence, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis was performed using a primer pair (upstream 5′-AACTGCAGATGGTTTGCCGAATTTGCAA-3′; downstream 5′-GCTCTAGACTAGATCTCAAGCAGGTC-3′) specific for the coat protein gene (GenBank Accession Nos. AJ619984 and AJ619983). Amplification of the expected 675-bp fragment was obtained. The sequence of a cloned copy of the amplified product showed 99% similarity to the PNRSV coat protein gene (GenBank Accession No. AF170165), confirming the presence of PNRSV in P. cerasoides (sequence submitted as Accession No. AM493717). The cloned DNA has the potential for utilization as an additional tool, and an early PNRSV screening (both pollen and seed transmitted) will be highly useful to ensure healthy rootstocks are used for grafting purposes (1). PNRSV mainly infects members of the Rosaceae family, including stone fruits and ornamental plants such as peach, plum, cherry, apricot, nectarines, and roses, and was first reported in P. persica (1). Proper management of PNRSV at this level can prevent its transmission and disease development in grafted scions of commercial Prunus spp. Reference: (1) A. A. Brunt et al. Page 1047 in: Viruses of Plants. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 1996.