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Carnation Yellow Fleck Virus. M. Smookler, Virus Laboratory, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel; G. Loebenstein, Virus Laboratory, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. Phytopathology 64:979-984. Accepted for publication 8 February 1974. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-64-979.

Carnation yellow fleck virus (CYFV), which causes yellow mottling, streaking, flecking, necrosis, and purple discoloration of carnation leaves, was isolated from Dianthus caryophyllus and transferred to D. barbatus and D. chinensis. Myzus persicae transmitted CYFV semipersistently after an acquisition feeding of 30 min, but not after 10 min. CYFV was transferred mechanically, but with extreme difficulty. Virus was purified using polyethylene glycol precipitation, sucrose density-gradient- and differential centrifugation. Purified preparations, examined in the analytical ultracentrifuge, were heterodisperse. The sedimentation coefficient (S_20,w) of the virus calculated from different preparations was estimated as 122 -128 S at infinite dilution. Electron microscopy of CYFV revealed filamentous flexuous particles measuring 1,250 × 13 nm. Although CYFV morphologically resembled beet yellows virus (BYV) and beet yellow stunt virus, it did not react with BYV antiserum, nor did it infect some of the major indicator host plants of those viruses.