FIG LATENT VIRUS 1, A NEW PUTATIVE MEMBER OF THE FAMILY FLEXIVIRIDAE

A virus with filamentous particles ca. 700 nm long, denoted Fig latent virus 1 (FLV-1) is widespread in Apulian (southern Italy) fig orchards, in trees showing or not symptomts of mosaic disease. FLV-1 was consistently identified in different batches of symptomless seedlings, which prompted its naming. It was transmitted by sap inoculation to a very restricted range of herbaceuos hosts without inducing apparent symptoms and was transmitted through fig seeds to a very high percentage (80 to 100%). FLV- 1 was succesfully purified from root tissues of infected figs. A virus-specific antiserum raised in rabbits, proved useful for its detection in fig leaf dips by immune electron microscopy. Bundles of filamentous particles were observed in the cytoplasm of parenchyma cells of infected fig trees and seedlings