Biological Characterisation of an Italian Isolate of Barley Yellow Dwarf Luteovirus from Barley.

An isolate of BYDV (BYDV-OC), from barley in Northwest Italy with typical symptoms of yellowing and dwarfing, was transmitted by Rhopalosiphum padi, Sitobion fragariae, S. auenae, Metopolophium festucae, R. maidis and M. dirhodum, but not by Myzus persicae or Schizaphis graminum. It reacted in DAS-ELISA with monoclonal and polyclonal antisera to PAV, but not with antibodies to MAV, RPV and RMV. A polyclonal antiserum prepared to BYDV-OC did not react with MAV-like, RPV-like, or RMV-like isolates of BYDV in ELISA or in Western blots. The concentration of BYDVOC in Auena byzantina plants decreased from weeks1 to 10 after inoculation, but the total virus content per plant increased up to weeks 7 to 8, following the increase of plant weight.