Properties of virus-like particles associated with banana bunchy top disease in Hawaii, Indonesia and Tonga

Field samples of banana plants affected by bunchy top disease from Hawaii, Indonesia and Tonga, but not unaffected controls, gave strong positive reactions when tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using Australian polyclonal and Australian and Taiwanese monoclonal antibodies specific for banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). Isometric virus-like particles, 18-19 nm in diameter, were isolated from these field samples. BBTV-Indonesia, BBTV-Hawaii and BBTV-Tonga all contained a coat protein of Mr about 20 000 and DNA of about 1 kb. The latter two virus isolates had a buoyant density of about 1.30g/cm3 in Cs2SO4. These properties are consistent with those previously described for BBTV-Australia.