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Disease Detection and Losses

Specific Serological Detection of the Transmissible Virus in Pea Seed Infected by Pea Seed-borne Mosaic Virus. K. Masmoudi, Département de Pathologie végétale, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78026, Versailles, France; M. Suhas(2), R. K. Khetarpal(3), and Y. Maury(4). (2)(4) Département de Pathologie végétale, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78026, Versailles, France; (3)National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, PUSA Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India. Phytopathology 84:756-760. Accepted for publication 16 March 1994. Copyright 1994 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-84-756.

The capsid protein of pea seed-borne mosaic virus (PSbMV), analyzed in mature pea seed, had a molecular mass of 33 kDa in infected embryos but a molecular mass of only 29–27 kDa in seed testas. A proteinase activity, induced in pea seed testas, efficiently cleaved the capsid protein in vitro as did a mild trypsin treatment. The occurrence of this proteinase activity was independent of the infection; its physiological induction in testas occurred at a development stage that corresponds to the active growth of the embryo. The use of an antiserum specific to the deleted part of the protein enabled detection of PSbMV only in embryos. This serological differentiation between the seed-transmitted and seedborne virus may have a direct application in the routine screening of pea seed lots.