Tospoviruses are responsible for important losses in most crops, mainly Solanaceae. Gilo (Solanum gilo) plants showing mosaic, blistering, stunting and 100% production losses were collected for analysis from São José dos Campos in the State of São Paulo. Biological, electron microscopy, serological and molecular tests were carried out in order to characterize the virus isolate. The mechanical inoculation on Amaranthaceae, Solanaceae and Chenopodiaceae plants showed typical tospovirus-induced symptoms. Pleomorphic particles from 80 to 110 nm were observed in negatively stained preparations and in vesicles of the endoplasmic reticulum of infected cells. Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) was identified by DAS-ELISA. DNA fragments were amplified by RT-PCR, with specific primers designed to the nucleocapsid gene (N) of the main Tospovirus species, sequenced and compared with others in the GenBank. The nucleotide and amino acid deduced sequences homology was 99 and 95%, respectively, with TCSV. Comparison with other Tospovirus species presented values between 74 and 81%. These results confirmed the identity of this virus isolate as TCSV, the main tospovirus species in São Paulo that also damages other Solanaceous crops. Varieties of gilo have been inoculated showing susceptibility to TCSV, Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV).
