Preliminary Studies on CPG/Hinf I RFLP Groups of Citrus tristeza virus Infected Sweet Oranges in China

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) causes economically important losses to the citrus industry worldwide. Mild strain cross protection (MSCP) against tristeza has hardly been practised due to mixed infection of different CTV-strains and little background of its molecular biology in China. For better cognition on CTV, 192 sweet orange samples collected from eight provinces (Chongqing, Sichuan, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong and Jiangxi) were tested by direct tissue blot immuno-assay (DTBIA), and 158 of them were tested positively, which therefore were subjected to coat protein gene (CPG)/Hinf I restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Sample bulks were compared between Chongqing and Fujian by some statistical data, including ratios of single infection and mixed infection to local samples, proportions of CTV isolates with single RFLP groups, and rates of each RFLP group. The simplified analysis of samples from the other six provinces were then conducted. This study suggests that CTV isolates with CPG/Hinf I RFLP groups III and I are the main epidemic ones in China, and mixed infection of CTV in fields are popular. Based on observation of severity of stem-pitting symptom in field trees, CTV isolates with CPG/Hinf I RFLP groups III and I caused severe stem-pittings in sweet oranges in China.