ABSTRACT Zinnia sp. and hairy beggartick (Bidens pilosa) plants exhibiting symptoms of possible virus infection were found in the municipality of Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, São Paulo State, Brazil. Flexuous filamentous particles and cytoplasmatic inclusions typical of potyvirus infection were observed by transmission electron microscopy, respectively, in leaf extracts and cells of symptomatic leaves. Infection of both plants with bidens mottle virus (BiMoV) was confirmed by RT-PCR using potyvirus universal primers, followed by nucleotide sequencing of the amplicons. The nearly complete genome sequence of the Brazilian isolate, named BiMoV-BR, is 9700 nucleotides long and shares 95.6 % identity with the corresponding nucleotide sequence of a BiMoV isolate from the United States. BiMoV-BR was mechanically transmitted and caused systemic infection on plants of Zinnia sp., hairy beggarstick, sunflower (Helianthus annuus), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Myzus persicae transmitted the virus to Zinnia sp. plants with efficacy of 8 % and 42 %, using one and ten aphids per plant, respectively. This is the first detection of BiMoV in Brazil. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the distribution of this potyvirus in the country. sp Bidens pilosa dOeste, dOeste d Oeste, Oeste d’Oeste State Brazil microscopy respectively leaves (BiMoV RTPCR RT PCR primers amplicons BiMoVBR, BiMoVBR BR, BR 970 956 95 6 95. States beggarstick Helianthus annuus, annuus , annuus) Lactuca sativa. sativa . sativa) 4 plant country 97 9

ABSTRACT Symptoms of severe vein clearing, leaf rolling, and blistering were observed in cassava plants in southwestern Bahia State, Brazil. The plants were collected, vegetatively propagated, and kept in a greenhouse. Leaf samples tested positive for begomovirus infection by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Complete nucleotide sequences of DNA-A and DNA-B of isolate PSLDV-Man04 revealed 99.89 % and 96.2 % identity, respectively, with the bipartite begomovirus passionfruit severe leaf distortion virus (PSLDV) genome. This PSLDV isolate was experimentally transmitted to two and four of the five cassava plants and ten passion fruit plants, respectively, inoculated with Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1). This is the first report of the natural infection of cassava plants by the PSLDV begomovirus in Brazil. clearing rolling State Brazil collected propagated greenhouse PCR. PCR . (PCR) DNAA DNA A DNAB B PSLDVMan04 PSLDVMan Man04 Man PSLDV-Man0 9989 99 89 99.8 962 96 2 96. identity respectively (PSLDV genome EastAsia East Asia MEAM1. MEAM1 MEAM (MEAM1) (PCR PSLDVMan0 Man0 PSLDV-Man 998 9 8 99. (MEAM1 (MEAM

ABSTRACT Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) plants showing symptoms of chlorosis, mosaic, chlorotic ringspot, and necrosis on younger leaves were found in a small experimental plot in Piracicaba, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Preliminary examinations by transmission electron microscopy of symptomatic leaf tissue revealed flexuous filamentous particles 13-15 nm wide and 700-750 nm long, and cytoplasmatic cylindrical inclusions typical of those found in plant cells infected by members of the Potyvirus genus. Total RNA extracted from symptomatic leaves and subjected to RT-PCR followed by partial nucleotide sequencing confirmed the presence of a potyvirus in the affected plants, which was identified as sunflower chlorotic mottle virus (SuCMoV), a member of the Sunflower chlorotic mottle virus (genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae) species. Mechanical transmission assays with extracts of symptomatic sunflower leaves reproduced the original symptoms in sunflowers, mosaic symptoms in Zinnia elegans, and chlorotic local lesions in Chenopodium amaranticolor and C. quinoa. Sunflower and zinnia plants became infected after aphid transmission experiments with Myzus persicae. RT-PCR tests using specific primers for SuCMoV confirmed the presence of this virus in experimentally infected plants, meeting the criteria of Koch’s postulate. This is the first report of SuCMoV infecting sunflower plants in Brazil.