Detection of Pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus 1 and 3 in Mexico

Abstract

In El Bajo Papaloapan, the main producing area of pineapple of Mexico, leaves with typical symptoms of viral infection consisting in chlorosis, flaccidity, reduced growth and reddening were collected. By RT-PCR with specific primers for the hsp70 gene and subsequent sequencing were detected Pineapple mealybug wilt virus associated-virus 1 (PMWaV-1) and Pineapple mealybug wilt virus associated-3 (PMWaV-3). From the sequences obtained a tree was done with sequences from different regions of the world available in GenBank in order to know their similarity. The sequence obtained from the Mexican isolate PMWaV-1 was genetically related to the sequences of isolates from Cuba, Taiwan, Thailand and Hawaii and more distant from the Australian isolate. The sequence obtained for the Mexican isolate PMWaV-3 was more related to isolates from Hawaii, Cuba, Australia and Taiwan and more distant from the Thailand isolate. This is the first report of the presence of these two viruses in Mexico.