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Appl Environ Microbiol, April 1998, p. 1430-1435, Vol. 64, No. 4
0099-2240/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Detection of Infectious Tobamoviruses in Forest Soils

Ronald C. Fillhart, George D. Bachand, and John D. Castello*

Faculty of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York 13210-2788

Received 3 July 1997/Accepted 24 September 1997

Our objectives were to evaluate elution and bait plant methods to detect infectious tobamoviruses in forest soils in New York State. Soils were collected from two forest sites: Whiteface Mountain (WF) and Heiberg Forest (HF). The effectiveness of four buffers to elute tomato mosaic tobamovirus (ToMV) from organic and mineral fractions of WF soil amended with ToMV was tested, and virus content was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The effectiveness of Chenopodium quinoa (Willd.) bait plants to detect the virus also was tested. Both methods then were utilized to detect tobamoviruses in 11 WF and 2 HF soil samples. A phosphate buffer (100 mM, pH 7.0) eluted more ToMV from soil than the other buffers tested. Mineral soil bound more virus than organic soil. Virus recoveries from virus-amended organic and mineral soils were 3 and 10%, respectively, and the detection sensitivity was 10 to 20 ng/g of soil. Roots of bait plants grown in all virus-amended soils tested positive by ELISA, and virus concentrations averaged 10 ng/g. Both ToMV and tobacco mosaic tobamovirus (TMV) were transmitted to C. quinoa by elution from one of two HF soil samples but not from the WF soil samples. A tobamovirus was detected by bait planting in 12 of 73 (16%) root extracts representing 5 of 13 soil samples (38%). Tobamovirus-like particles were seen by transmission electron microscopy in 6 of 12 infected root extracts. Tobamoviruses occur in forest soils in New York State. Abiotic soil transmission to trees may permit localized spread and persistence of these viruses in forest ecosystems.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: State University of New York, College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Faculty of Environmental & Forest Biology, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY 13210. Phone: (315) 470-6789. Fax: (315) 470-6934. E-mail: jdcastel{at}syr.edu.






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