Abutilon mosaic virus

Abutilon mosaic virus  (AbMV) is a virus of the genus Begomovirus.  It infects Abutilon species, notably the flowering maple, Abutilon striatum.  The mottled or variegated effect on the leaves is of Abutilon striatum is sought after.

Host and Symptoms:

Host: Abutilon striatum, an upright, evergreen shrub. Foliage is 3 to 5 lobed, serrated. Rich green color and mottling of yellow. Flowers are yellow orange with crimson veins. The species is native to Brazil, but has been naturalized in South and Central America

Symptoms: Leaves become mottled with white or yellow mosaic; this resembles variegation. The mottled patches are angular in appearance, and they are limited by veins. Some plants experience stunting, a decrease in photosynthetic potential caused by the reduction of chlorophyll, and they can dehydrate more readily. This disease will not kill the plant. The symptoms are cosmetic in nature. The plant will still be able to flower and reproduce if infected1.

Disease Cycle:

Naturally transmitted by silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.  The virus can also be spread through contaminated tools and asexually propagated material. The virus is transmitted through the whitefly digestive system; the virus enters as the insect feeds This is an example of persistent viral transmission.

For the whitefly-to-plant life cycle, there is a 12-hour window, after the insect picks up the AbMV, where the virus cannot be transmitted. This virus is transmitted to the next plant that the silverleaf whitefly feeds on, after the latent period.

Another mode for the AbMV to spread is manual transmission. This is seen in vegetative propagation of diseased material. For this particular disease, infected plants are chosen to be grafted or used as cuttings. The virus continues to live in the tissue after it is cut from the original plant for propagation. There are techniques to avoid manual transmission, such as sterilization of tools, but they are not used in Abutilon striatum propagation because the infected material is desired.

Importance:

The diseased plants are ornamentally desired. The mosaic symptom is considered more interesting than the healthy plant, and it is often marketed as a form of variegation. This disease was one of the first viruses described in scientific literature, due to its ornamental properties. Horticulturalists were very interested in the diseases ability to create a variegated look, without having to wait for a genetic mutation to pop up. For these reasons there are no available controls. Propagators go out of their way to keep the virus intact in the new plants. Additionally, AbMV is present in all the countries in South America. One more important note about AbMV, is that as a geminivirus. This means that is readily preforms recombinations, which could lead to a new variant with more serious consequences to Abutilon species or other plants

Vector
The vector is a whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.

Strains
 Abutilon mosaic A = West Indies virus
 Abutilon mosaic B = Brazil virus
 Abutilon mosaic Hawaii virus

References

External links
 Abutilon Mosaic, Scot C. Nelson, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii, June 2008.

Category:Begomovirus