The wild type of Momordica charantia is not infected by potyviruses that cause disease in papaya and cucurbit crops

Abstract

In the present work, the susceptibility of wild and domesticated plants of Momordica charantia to viruses from the genus Potyvirus that cause diseases in papaya (Carica papaya) and cucurbit crops was evaluated. The plants were subjected to experimental and natural infection with Papaya ringspot virus types P and W (PRSV-P and PRSV-W) and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). None of the potyviruses infected the wild type of M. charantia through mechanical or aphid inoculation or under field exposition, whereas the domesticated type was only infected by isolates of ZYMV. In addition, both wild and domesticated types of M. charantia were not infected in natural conditions by an isolate of Zucchini lethal chlorosis virus, genus Tospovirus, transmitted by Frankliniella zucchini. These data clearly indicated that this wild type of M. charantia does not seem to have a role in the epidemiology of the diseases caused by these three potyviruses in Brazil.