C. Desbiez et al., BIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR VARIABILITY OF ZUCCHINI YELLOW MOSAIC-VIRUS ON THE ISLAND OF MARTINIQUE, Plant disease, 80(2), 1996, pp. 203-207
Zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus (ZYMV) was isolated from zucchini squ
ash on the island of Martinique for the first time in 1992, and it is
now widespread on the island. Fourteen isolates collected from differe
nt cucurbit crops in 1992 and 1993 exhibited biological and antigenic
variability as revealed by using differential hosts and a series of mo
noclonal antibodies. A partial sequencing of the coat protein and puta
tive polymerase coding regions of the 14 isolates revealed that there
was also some molecular variability, lower within the group of Martini
que isolates than with ZYMV isolates from other geographical origins.
This variability can result either from the introduction to the island
of different ZYMV strains, or from a rapid evolution of an introduced
ZYMV population with a narrow genetic base. The incidence of the obse
rved variability will affect the development of efficient and durable
control strategies.