Hydrangea plants showing leaves with chlorotic and necrotic rings from Arujá Municipality, São Paulo State, were analyzed for the identification of the viral species. Elongated filamentous particles of 490 nm were visualized under transmission electron microscope. Oligonucleotides for Hydrangea ringspot virus (HdRSV), a potexvirus commonly found in Europe and in the United States, were tested using total RNA from hydrangea plants, amplifying two fragments, one around 550 and another one of 250 nucleotides. Nucleotide identity with HdRSV (accession number AJ 707100.1) was 96% and 88% for the longest and shortest fragment, respectively, indicating the presence of this virus. To evaluate its dissemination in the matrices of hydrangea used in the commercial production, 17 samples were collected in the region of Arujá, and eight were infected by HdRSV. For the analyzed viral replicase portion, the isolates from the varieties 'Azul LZR', 'Rosita', 'Renat Blue' and 'Vermelho Comum' did not differ in their amino acid sequences from isolates with sequences deposited in the GenBank (accession numbers AY 707100 and NC_006943). The isolates from 'Azul Rendado' and "Rosa Japonesa' showed few differences but were related to the remaining isolates. An antiserum was obtained for HdRSV and can be efficiently used to detect such virus in hydrangea and Primula malacoides, another ornamental plant also infected by HdRSV.
Hydrangea macrophylla; Potexvirus; RT-PCR; Saxifragaceae
