The Biological Properties of a Distinct Tospovirus and Sequence Analysis of Its S RNA

A tospovirus isolate from Brazil, designated TSWV-B, was first identified as a unique isolate based on our observation that transgenic plants expressing the N gene of the lettuce strain of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV-BL) were susceptible to TSWV-B but showed resistance to both TSWV (L type) and impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV). TSWV-B was serologically distinct from TSWV and INSV. TSWV-B generally incited symptoms resembling those caused by other TSWV isolates, except TSWV-B systemically infected Petunia hybrida, which is a local-lesion host of TSWV. Unlike the cucurbit isolate TSWV-W, TSWV-B did not infect Cucumis sativus and only occasionally induced systemic infections on C. metuliferus