Transmission and translocation of Grapvine fanleaf virus (GFLV) from Vitis vinifera L. pollen to seeds and grape

Abstract

To better understand the distribution and genetic variety of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) in two organs of the grapevine, the presence of this virus was tested in leaf and pollen samples by ELISA and RT-PCR methods. On average, the GFLV is present in the pollen and the leaves with percentages 93 and 36% respectively. Capsid protein sequences were aligned and showed 85–92,1% identity at the nucleotide level for isolates obtained from leaves and 96–99% identity for isolates obtained from pollen. GFLV isolates from pollen are less divergent and phylogenetically closer to each other than those detected in leaves based on the analysis of the 2 CP sequences. GFLV was detected in seeds, berries, peduncles and grape bunches. Pollen appeared to have potential contribution in GFLV transmission by cross-pollination flowers on healthy plants, which leads to the formation of infected seeds and racemes.