First report of plum pox virus infecting Japanese apricot ( Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) in Japan

For the first time, plum pox virus (PPV) has been detected in commercial Japanese apricot ( Prunus mume ) trees in Tokyo, Japan. These trees had ringspot or mottle on leaves, color breaking of petals and, occasionally, mild ringspots and malformation on fruits. The virus was identified based on the morphology of virus particles, serology, and RT-PCR. The amplified nucleotide fragment shared 100% identity with a partial coat protein gene of PPV-D isolates.