The effect of cherry leaf roll virus infection on the performance of birch pollen and studies on virus replication in germinating pollen

SUMMARY The rates of germ tube elongation in vitro of pollen from cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV)-infected birch (Betula pendula) did not differ significantly from those of pollen from virus-free trees. Differences in percentage germination of pollen collected from trees at different sites were significant but percentages of germination of pollen from virus-infected and virus-free trees did not differ greatly from one another. In vivo, pollen from infected trees germinated on healthy and CLRV-infected stigmas and callose plugs formed in both types of tissues. However, the extent of callose plug formation was greater in the pollen tubes of virus-free grains germinating in infected stigmas than in reciprocal crosses. CLRV coat antigen was detected by ELISA in stigmatic tissue, from healthy trees, on which virus-carrying pollen grains had germinated. Using fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated to CLRV-specific γ-globulin, viral coat antigen was detected throughout germ tubes from virus-carrying but not virus-free pollen germinating in vitro. Protoplasts released following Driselase digestion of pollen germ tubes from virus-infected trees contained CLRV antigen detectable by ELISA. During germination of virus-infected pollen there was little synthesis of viral coat protein or nucleic acid but, following inoculation with purified virus particles, protoplasts made from healthy germinating pollen produced increasing amounts of CLRV-specific antigen implying that CLRV replicated in this system.