Molecular Detection of Three Virus Species in Tomato Fields of Azarbaijan-eSharqi Province

Infections with predominant viruses including Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in tomato fields of Azarbaijan-e-Sharqi Province were surveyed. 205 samples showing symptoms such as mosaic, dwarfing, necrosis, leaf narrowing, leaf and fruit deformation were collected from ….and subjected to glasshouse inoculations. Samples suspected to be infected by CMV were first screened against the virus by ELISA, and then RNA were extracted. RT-PCR reactions were performed by the use of CMV-, Tospovirus or Tobamovirus specific primers depending on virus symptoms. Upon optimization of the annealing temperature in the PCR the anticipated bands were amplified corresponding to Tospovirus, Tobamovirus or CMV in 6, 37 and 23 samples, respectively. Restriction analyses with HindIII, EcoRI and XbaI of the fragments which were amplified with Tospovirus-specific primers showed, TSWV wasin all the six samples. In addition, cloning and sequencing of the amplified fragments proved the TSWV identity of the isolates. When the fragments amplified with the Tobamovirus primers were restricted by TaqI the resultant restriction profile revealed ToMV identitiy of the virus in 37 samples, but no TMV was present in the samples. Also, MspI restriction digestion of the fragments amplified with the CMV primers showed that the CMV isolates were placed in Subgroup I. In addition, the resultant data were indicative of high frequency of infection with CMV and ToMV in the collected samples.