Characterization of the full length coat protein gene of Iranian Grapevine fanleaf virus isolates, genetic variation and phylogenetic analysis

The full-length coat protein gene of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) isolates from Iran was characterized by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing. The expected 1515 bp coat protein (CP) gene amplicon was obtained for 16 isolates out of 89 that were identified by double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunesorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) in a population of 330 symptomatic grapevine leaf samples. CP products of eight isolates were cloned and nucleotide sequences were determined. Parsimonious trees indicated that GFLV isolates from Iran formed a distinct cluster, suggesting an independent evolution.