Use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to study transmission of banana bunchy top virus by the banana aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa)

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is a ssDNA virus transmitted by the banana aphid, ( Pentalonia nigronervosa ). A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to study BBTV transmission efficiency, to determine the minimum acquisition-access period, the minimum inoculation-access period, the retention time, and to examine the possibility of transovarial transmission in this vector. BBTV was acquired by banana aphids within 4 h and was transmitted within 15 min feeding. On average, more than 65% of single viruliferous adult aphids transmitted BBTV. The aphids retained BBTV for their adulthood of 15–20 days. None of the 131 offspring from adult aphids reared on infected bananas were BBTV positive. Aphid transmission experiments were conducted to determine if taro and gingers are hosts of BBTV. None of the 87 taro and ginger plants exposed to aphid inoculation were infected by BBTV. The BBTV-free status of these plants was verified by PCR assay for 6 months post-inoculation. In addition, none of the taro and ginger samples collected from fields adjacent to BBTV-infected banana plants tested positive for BBTV.     

The transmission of banana bunchy-top virus in micropropagated bananas

Plants were established in vitro from banana bunchy0top virus (BBTV) infeeted plants. Explants containing either vegetative shoot apices or terminal floral apices were used to initiate cultures. Plants multiplied in culture were indistinguishable from non-infected (control) plants and lacked characteristic symptoms of BBTV infection. After 16 months in culture plants were established in the glasshouse and after 1 month in pots some plants started to show symptoms of the disease. After a further 5 months, 73% of the plants showed characteristic symptoms of the disease while 27% were symptomless and similar in appearance to control plants. These plants have been grown to maturity in the field without showing recognizable symptoms. This study demonstrates that BBTV can be transmitted in an apparently symptomless condition in culture and has important consequences for the dissemination of banana germplasm within Australia and internationally.     

香蕉束顶病毒DNA组分6的克隆和序列分析

香蕉束顶病(banana bunchy top disease,BBTD)是香蕉生产上重要的病害之一,它威胁着世界约1/4香蕉产区的生产[1].到1998年7月,世界上报道发生该病害的国家和地区达20多个,遍及亚洲、南太平洋地区和少数非洲国家.