Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a New Natural Host of Impatiens necrotic spot virus in California

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) plants exhibiting severe stunting and leaves that showed interveinal yellowing, thickening, and deformation were found in an experimental trial adjacent to an artichoke field in Monterey County, CA in October of 2008. Percent incidence of symptomatic plants ranged from 20 to 39% in cvs. Bordeaux, Lazio, and Tigercat. Symptomatic plants were positive for Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV; family Bunyaviridae, genus Tospovirus) and were negative for Tomato spotted wilt virus, Cucumber mosaic virus, and Tobacco mosaic virus when tested with immunostrips (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN). The INSV-positive spinach was used for mechanical transmission to Nicotiana benthamiana, Chenopodium quinoa, and spinach. All inoculated plants were positive for INSV with immunostrips. To further confirm the presence of INSV, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was conducted. Total RNA was extracted from the symptomatic spinach plants using a RNeasy Plant Kit (Qiagen Inc., Valencia, CA) and used as a templa...