Detection and characterization of a Cucumber mosaic virus isolate infecting peperina, a species native to Argentina

Minthostachys mollis (Kunth.) Griseb., “peperina”, a member of the family Lamiaceae, is an aromatic species used in modern pharmacology and medicine. It is widely distributed in the Andes, from Venezuela and Colombia to Argentina. In Argentina, the main exploitation area of peperina includes the mountain area of the province of Córdoba, where the plant is indiscriminately harvested, leading to an irreversible loss of the germplasm. To preserve this plant as a native resource and regional source of incomes, the species has been domesticated. During this process, noticeable symptoms of yellow mosaic appeared. Biological, serological and molecular studies (RT-PCR, RFLP, cloning and sequencing) determined the presence of subgroup IA of Cucumber mosaic virus in domesticated peperina plants. The viral isolate studied is closely related to strain Y, which was reported from Japan. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a virus infecting peperina.