An isolate of Wheat streak mosaic virus from foxtail overcomes Wsm2 resistance in wheat

Abstract

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is an economically important pathogen of wheat (Triticum aestivum) causing major yield losses in regions where severe infection occurs. To detect the presence of any new virus or new WSMV isolates, green foxtail (Setaria viridis) plants exhibiting virus‐like symptoms were sampled in a summer‐fallowed wheat field at the Agricultural Research Center‐Hays, Kansas State University, Hays, Kansas. These plants were tested serologically for four wheat viruses: WSMV, Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV) and Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV). Among 38 plant samples exhibiting virus‐like symptoms, 29 contained WSMV as indicated by ELISA. Four isolates from samples with relatively strong reactions were transferred to healthy wheat seedlings by mechanical inoculation in a growth chamber for pathogenicity testing. Three isolates were avirulent to a wheat variety RonL, which contains Wsm2, a gene providing temperature‐sensitive resistance to currently prevalent isolates of WSMV. However, one isolate, KSH294, was able to infect RonL and showed more virulence on two other varieties/lines containing Wsm2. Further sequence and phylogenetic analysis of KSH294 confirmed that this isolate displays a sequence homology with WSMV, but has sequence differences making it distinct from previously identified WSMV isolates included in the phylogenetic analysis.