A POTYVIRUS ISOLATED FROM SOLANACEOUS HOSTS

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.