Diseased fruits of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) collected from southern Taiwan were found with symptoms of necrosis and woodiness. The presence of Papaya ringspot virus type W (PRSV W) alone, PRSV W combined with Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), or PRSV W combined with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in the diseased fruits were detected by indirect ELISA. ZYMV TW-PT5 isolated from the fruit of bitter gourd originated from Pingtung was further characterized at the molecular level. The coat protein gene of TW-PT5 was amplified by RT-PCR with specific primers and the amplified cDNA fragments were cloned and sequenced. The CP gene of TW-PT5 was compared with those of 11 other ZYMV isolates originated from Taiwan and other areas of the world. The results revealed that the CP genes of the four Taiwan isolates share the highest nucleotide identities (>97.7%) and amino acid identities (>98.3%) with those of TW-PT5; therefore, TW-PT5 was classified with them in genotype I. Moreover, amino acid positions 73, 102,109, and 149 of the CP of TW-PT5, where lysine, serine, arginine, and aspartic acid reside, respectively, were found identical with those of the four Taiwan isolates of genotype 1. Phylogenetic analysis also indicated that TW-PTS is grouped in genotype I with the four Taiwan isolates, but distinct from a Taiwan isolate (TW-NTl) and four US isolates (genotype II), Reunion Island isolate (genotype III), and Singapore isolate (genotype IV).
Diseased fruits of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) collected from southern Taiwan were found with symptoms of necrosis and woodiness. The presence of Papaya ringspot virus type W (PRSV W) alone, PRSV W combined with Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), or PRSV W combined with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in the diseased fruits were detected by indirect ELISA. ZYMV TW-PT5 isolated from the fruit of bitter gourd originated from Pingtung was further characterized at the molecular level. The coat protein gene of TW-PT5 was amplified by RT-PCR with specific primers and the amplified cDNA fragments were cloned and sequenced. The CP gene of TW-PT5 was compared with those of 11 other ZYMV isolates originated from Taiwan and other areas of the world. The results revealed that the CP genes of the four Taiwan isolates share the highest nucleotide identities (>97.7%) and amino acid identities (>98.3%) with those of TW-PT5; therefore, TW-PT5 was classified with them in genotype I. Moreover, amino acid positions 73, 102,109, and 149 of the CP of TW-PT5, where lysine, serine, arginine, and aspartic acid reside, respectively, were found identical with those of the four Taiwan isolates of genotype 1. Phylogenetic analysis also indicated that TW-PTS is grouped in genotype I with the four Taiwan isolates, but distinct from a Taiwan isolate (TW-NTl) and four US isolates (genotype II), Reunion Island isolate (genotype III), and Singapore isolate (genotype IV).