potyvirus was isolated from Datura stramonium, Lycopersicon esculentum
(tomato) and Solanum nigrum in the Yemen. It was transmitted mechanic
ally and by Myzus pevsicae in a non-persistent manner. Its flexuous ro
d-shaped particles had a mean length of 719nm and some of its pinwheel
inclusion bodies in infected Nicotiana clevelandii leaves were unusua
l in that they were dichotomously branched. The virus infected various
solanaceous species, but the symptoms it induced were distinct from t
hose of pepper veinal mottle (PVMV) and potato Y viruses. Its particle
s were purified from N. glutinosa and their coat protein had an atypic
ally high molecular mass a potyvirus of 41.5 kDa. They showed a distan
t serological relationship to those of PVMV and potato virus V in ISEM
decoration tests, but did not react with antisera to particles of any
other potyvirus tested. The virus has been tentatively named tomato m
ild mottle virus.