Identification of endogenous and episomal piper yellow mottle virus from the leaves and berries of black pepper (Piper nigrum)

Abstract

Piper yellow mottle virus (PYMoV) is the most frequently occurring virus causing mottle disease in black pepper plants in Sukabumi, West Java. As a pararetrovirus, PYMoV occurs in the plant as endogenous (inactive) and episomal (active, infectious) forms. Research was carried out to detect and identify PYMoV from leaf and berry samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) followed by sequencing and nucleotide sequence analysis. Both endogenous and episomal forms of PYMoV were successfully detected from leaf and berry samples, although the endogenous form was more numerous than the episomal form. Results from black pepper berries proved the existence of both forms within single plants. It was further confirmed that endogenous and episomal PYMoV from the leaves and berries of the same plant had identical sequences, indicating the same isolates. This study is the first report of an endogenous and episomal form of PYMoV in a single plant.