Virus associated with thickening of the cladodes of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.)

Abstract

Symptoms putative to phytoplasmas and virus as yellowing, mosaic, proliferation and deformation of fruits and thickening of the cladodes of prickly pear have been observed in Nopaltepec, Estado de México. The objective of this investigation was to detect the presence of virus in samples of prickly pear showing thickening syndrome of the cladodes. The analysis of double-stranded RNA in prickly pear tissue whit the symptoms mentioned above revealed the presence of viral RNA. In symptomatic tissue, flexible rods of 950-1700 nm in length were observed with the aid of transmission electron microscopy. The virus was transmitted mechanically to Nicotiana tabacum var. Xanthi, N. glutinosa, N. occidentalis, N. benthamiana, Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor and Datura stramonium. Results from RT-PCR indicate that the particle does not correspond to TMV, neither to member of the Potyviridae family or species of the genus Potexvirus.